Active transport of cytoophidia in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

What is it about?

In 2010, three studies demonstrate that cytidine triphosphate synthase (CTPS) is compartmentalized in filaments in bacteria, yeast, fruit flies, and human cells. The CTPS-formed filaments are named cytoophidia (Greek for "cellular snakes"), representing a new type of intracellular membrane-less organelle that is strikingly conserved across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, little is known about how cytoophidia behave inside the cells. Since intracellular transport and dynamics of organelles are essential to many cellular functions, it is important to understand the behavior of cytoophidia. Using the single cell organism fission yeast as a model, here we demonstrate that 1) cytoophidia can move actively; 2) the actin network is responsible for the dynamic behavior of cytoophidia; and 3) the motor protein Myo52 drives the cytoophidium transport. This study helps us begin to understand the behavior of the mysterious cell snakes and the benefit of the filamentation of metabolic enzymes.

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