Investigation of the role and interaction of subunits of the Golgi vesicle tethering COG complex in Aspergillus nidulans

Ref ID: 18366

Author:

Sara Gremillion , Stacie
Driggers , Darlene Loprete , and Terry Hill

Author address:

Department of Biology, Armstrong Atlantic State University, 11935 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31419,
USA, and Departments of Biology and Chemistry, Rhodes College, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA. Sara.Gremillion@armstrong.edu

Full conference title:

Asperfest 8

Abstract:

The COG (conserved oligomeric Golgi) complex is associated with tethering of vesicles undergoing retrograde transport within the Golgi apparatus.
Studies in animals and yeast revealed that the COG complex is composed of eight protein subunits which form a bi-lobed structure. In both models, the
lobe containing COG1-4 is essential for proper COG function. Little is known of the COG complex in the filamentous fungi. Two temperature sensitive
mutants have been discovered in Aspergillus nidulans, named swoP1 (swollen cell) and podB1 (polarity defective). Both mutants display abnormal spore
swelling and polarity when grown at a restrictive temperature. Genes complementing the mutations of swoP1 and podB1 have sequence homology to
COG4 (ANID7462.1) and a conserved hypothetical protein, likely COG2 (ANID8226.1), respectively. A GFP-tagged COG2 displayed a punctuate
distribution within fungal hyphae, a pattern consistent with other Golgi protein localization. Protein over-expression studies provided evidence of innercomplex interactions between COG2 and COG4 as well as COG2 with COG3. To study the role of these proteins in the complex, an AlcA promoter
replacement strategy was performed. When grown on AlcA-suppressive media, the AlcA-promoter COG4 and AlcA-promoter COG7 strains displayed
wild type growth at a restrictive temperature, while the AlcA-promoter COG1 and AlcA-promoter COG2 strains displayed swollen cells and abnormal
polarity similar to that observed in the swoP1 mutant phenotype at a restrictive temperature. This data suggests that COG1 and COG2 are necessary for
proper COG function in A. nidulans while COG4 and COG7 are not.

Abstract Number: 44)

Conference Year: 2011

Link to conference website: NULL

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