S. G. Martin

Cdc42 mobility and membrane flows regulate fission yeast cell shape and survival

This study shows that Cdc42 mobility and membrane flows are critical for fission yeast cell shape and survival, with lower mobility leading to impaired polarization and viability.

Condensation of the fusion focus by the intrinsically disordered region of the formin Fus1 is essential for cell-cell fusion

This study shows that the intrinsically disordered region of Fus1 mediates condensation of the actin fusion focus, essential for yeast gamete fusion and preventing cell lysis.

mNeonGreen-tagged fusion proteins and nanobodies reveal localization of tropomyosin to patches, cables, and contractile actomyosin rings in live yeast cells

The paper develops mNeonGreen-tagged tropomyosin and nanobodies to visualize tropomyosin localization in yeast, revealing new structures and dynamics in actin cytoskeleton.

The actin assembly requirements of the formin Fus1 to build the fusion focus

This study investigates how the nucleation and elongation rates of the formin Fus1 affect the formation of the actin fusion focus in fission yeast, showing that native rates are optimal for this structure.

Ultrastructural plasma membrane asymmetries in tension and curvature promote yeast cell fusion

This study reveals asymmetric plasma membrane conformations in yeast cell fusion, driven by turgor pressure and exocytosis/endocytosis ratios, which facilitate cell fusion.

Cell patterning by secretion-induced plasma membrane flows

The paper shows that exocytosis-induced membrane flows restrict Cdc42 activity zones by dragging proteins and forming negative feedback in fission yeast.

Fungal zygote survival and ploidy maintenance rely on cell cycle-dependent and independent mating blocks

This study identifies two mechanisms in fission yeast that prevent zygotic mating and maintain ploidy: Mei2 enforcing meiosis and Mei3 driving cell cycle progression.

Direct and indirect regulation of Pom1 cell size pathway by the protein phosphatase 2C Ptc1

This study identifies Ptc1 as a negative regulator of the Pom1 cell size pathway in fission yeast, showing both direct and indirect effects on Pom1 function.

Clustering-mediated activation of Cdc42 GTPase antagonized by GAPs in fission yeast

The paper shows that clustering Cdc42 in fission yeast leads to moderate activation at cell sides, but lacks amplification due to Rga4 antagonism.

A toolbox of Stable Integration Vectors (SIV) in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The paper develops a modular toolbox of Stable Integration Vectors (SIV) for fission yeast to enable precise, stable genomic integration of heterologous sequences.

Sterol flow between the plasma membrane and the endosome is regulated by the LAM family protein Ltc1

The paper visualizes sterol flow between plasma membrane and endosomes in fission yeast using a biosensor, revealing Ltc1's role in sterol transport and PM homeostasis.

Differential GAP requirement for Cdc42-GTP polarization during proliferation and sexual reproduction

The paper identifies Rga3 as a Cdc42 GAP in fission yeast, showing it is required for limiting Cdc42-GTP patches during sexual reproduction but not mitotic growth.

Gamete fusion rapidly reconstitutes a bi-partite transcription factor to block re-fertilization

This study shows that gamete fusion in S. pombe rapidly reconstitutes a bi-partite transcription factor to block re-fertilization and induce meiosis.

Feedback inhibition of Ras activity coordinates cell fusion with cell-cell contact

The paper shows that Ras activity feedback inhibition coordinates cell fusion with cell-cell contact in fission yeast.

A systematic screen for morphological abnormalities during fission yeast sexual reproduction identifies a mechanism of actin aster formation for cell fusion