A role for the actin cytoskeleton of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in bipolar bud-site selection

Control of mitotic spindle position by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae formin Bni1p

Alignment of the mitotic spindle with the axis of cell division is an essential process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is mediated by interactions between cytoplasmic microtubules and the cell cortex. We found that a cortical protein, the yeast formin Bni1p, was required for spindle orientation. Two striking abnormalities were observed in bni1Delta cells. First, the initial movement of the spindle pole body (SPB) toward the emerging bud was defective. This phenotype is similar to that previously observed in cells lacking the kinesin Kip3p and, in fact, BNI1 and KIP3 were found to be in the same genetic pathway. Second, abnormal pulling interactions between microtubules and the cortex appeared to cause preanaphase spindles in bni1Delta cells to transit back and forth between the mother and the bud. We therefore propose that Bni1p may localize or alter the function of cortical microtubule-binding sites in the bud. Additionally, we present evidence that other bipolar bud site determinants together with cortical actin are also required for spindle orientation.

Identification and characterization of genes required for hyphal morphogenesis in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans

In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, germination of an asexual conidiospore results in the formation of a hyphal cell. A key feature of spore germination is the switch from isotropic spore expansion to polarized apical growth. Here, temperature-sensitive mutations are used to characterize the roles of five genes (sepA, hypA, podB-podD) in the establishment and maintenance of hyphal polarity. Evidence that suggests that the hypA, podB, and sepA genes are required for multiple aspects of hyphal morphogenesis is presented. Notably, podB and sepA are needed for organization of the cytoskeleton at sites of polarized growth. In contrast, podC and podD encode proteins that appear to be specifically required for the establishment of hyphal polarity during spore germination. The role of sepA and the pod genes in controlling the spatial pattern of polarized morphogenesis in germinating spores is also described. Results obtained from these experiments indicate that the normal pattern of germ-tube emergence is dependent upon the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton.

Cell polarity and morphogenesis in budding yeast

Eukaryotic cells respond to intracellular and extracellular cues to direct asymmetric cell growth and division. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergoes polarized growth at several times during budding and mating and is a useful model organism for studying asymmetric growth and division. In recent years, many regulatory and cytoskeletal components important for directing and executing growth have been identified, and molecular mechanisms have been elucidated in yeast. Key signaling pathways that regulate polarization during the cell cycle and mating response have been described. Since many of the components important for polarized cell growth are conserved in other organisms, the basic mechanisms mediating polarized cell growth are likely to be universal among eukaryotes.

Polarity and division site specification in yeast

A significant component of polarization in budding yeast involves the regulated restructuring of the actin cytoskeleton in response to defined cellular signals. Recent evidence suggests that such cytoskeletal organization arises through the action of large protein complexes that form in response to signals from small GTP-binding proteins, such as Cdc42, Rho, and Ras. These actin-organizing complexes may be fairly diverse, but generally consist of one or more central scaffold proteins, such as those of the formin class, that bind to signaling molecules and recruit actin-binding proteins to bring about desired polarizing events.

On growth and form: control of cell morphogenesis in fission yeast

In the past year, we have gained considerable insight into the process of cell morphogenesis and the establishment of positional information in fission yeast. The highlights include a better understanding of the role of the microtubule cytoskeleton in the control of cell shape, as well as the identification of novel genes essential for the establishment of cell polarity and for the positioning of the site of cell division.

Regulation of the cortical actin cytoskeleton in budding yeast by twinfilin, a ubiquitous actin monomer-sequestering protein

Here we describe the identification of a novel 37-kD actin monomer binding protein in budding yeast. This protein, which we named twinfilin, is composed of two cofilin-like regions. In our sequence database searches we also identified human, mouse, and Caenorhabditis elegans homologues of yeast twinfilin, suggesting that twinfilins form an evolutionarily conserved family of actin-binding proteins. Purified recombinant twinfilin prevents actin filament assembly by forming a 1:1 complex with actin monomers, and inhibits the nucleotide exchange reaction of actin monomers. Despite the sequence homology with the actin filament depolymerizing cofilin/actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF) proteins, our data suggests that twinfilin does not induce actin filament depolymerization. In yeast cells, a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-twinfilin fusion protein localizes primarily to cytoplasm, but also to cortical actin patches. Overexpression of the twinfilin gene (TWF1) results in depolarization of the cortical actin patches. A twf1 null mutation appears to result in increased assembly of cortical actin structures and is synthetically lethal with the yeast cofilin mutant cof1-22, shown previously to cause pronounced reduction in turnover of cortical actin filaments. Taken together, these results demonstrate that twinfilin is a novel, highly conserved actin monomer-sequestering protein involved in regulation of the cortical actin cytoskeleton.

A role for the yeast actin cytoskeleton in pheromone receptor clustering and signalling

The development of cell polarity in response to external stimuli is a feature of most eukaryotic cell types. Haploid cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae secrete peptide pheromones to induce conjugation with cells of the opposite mating type. Pheromone binding triggers transcription of mating-specific genes, cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase and the formation of a mating projection oriented toward the source of pheromone [1-2]. Based on a multitude of studies in diverse eukaryotic cells, it has been hypothesized that hierarchies of proteins function to govern the generation of cell polarity [3-4]. Numerous proteins have been identified in yeast that accumulate both at a position on the cell cortex that will develop into a mating projection in response to pheromone binding and at the site of bud formation in response to an intrinsic cue during mitotic growth. When the actin cytoskeleton is disrupted before bud formation by the addition of latrunculin-A (LAT-A), several proteins involved in budding, including the GTPase Cdc42p, are still able to achieve their appropriate polarized localization [5]. In contrast, we show here that following pheromone addition, an intact actin cytoskeleton is required for localization of several proteins to a discrete position on the cell cortex. We also demonstrate a role for actin in pheromone-induced receptor clustering and signalling. We propose that actin-mediated pheromone receptor clustering might consolidate signalling from Cdc42p to one region of the cell cortex so that small differences in receptor occupancy across the cell surface can be amplified into dramatic cellular polarity.

Spa2p interacts with cell polarity proteins and signaling components involved in yeast cell morphogenesis

The yeast protein Spa2p localizes to growth sites and is important for polarized morphogenesis during budding, mating, and pseudohyphal growth. To better understand the role of Spa2p in polarized growth, we analyzed regions of the protein important for its function and proteins that interact with Spa2p. Spa2p interacts with Pea2p and Bud6p (Aip3p) as determined by the two-hybrid system; all of these proteins exhibit similar localization patterns, and spa2Delta, pea2Delta, and bud6Delta mutants display similar phenotypes, suggesting that these three proteins are involved in the same biological processes. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that Spa2p and Pea2p are tightly associated with each other in vivo. Velocity sedimentation experiments suggest that a significant portion of Spa2p, Pea2p, and Bud6p cosediment, raising the possibility that these proteins form a large, 12S multiprotein complex. Bud6p has been shown previously to interact with actin, suggesting that the 12S complex functions to regulate the actin cytoskeleton. Deletion analysis revealed that multiple regions of Spa2p are involved in its localization to growth sites. One of the regions involved in Spa2p stability and localization interacts with Pea2p; this region contains a conserved domain, SHD-II. Although a portion of Spa2p is sufficient for localization of itself and Pea2p to growth sites, only the full-length protein is capable of complementing spa2 mutant defects, suggesting that other regions are required for Spa2p function. By using the two-hybrid system, Spa2p and Bud6p were also found to interact with components of two mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways important for polarized cell growth. Spa2p interacts with Ste11p (MAPK kinase [MEK] kinase) and Ste7p (MEK) of the mating signaling pathway as well as with the MEKs Mkk1p and Mkk2p of the Slt2p (Mpk1p) MAPK pathway; for both Mkk1p and Ste7p, the Spa2p-interacting region was mapped to the N-terminal putative regulatory domain. Bud6p interacts with Ste11p. The MEK-interacting region of Spa2p corresponds to the highly conserved SHD-I domain, which is shown to be important for mating and MAPK signaling. spa2 mutants exhibit reduced levels of pheromone signaling and an elevated level of Slt2p kinase activity. We thus propose that Spa2p, Pea2p, and Bud6p function together, perhaps as a complex, to promote polarized morphogenesis through regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and signaling pathways.

Multiple functions for actin during filamentous growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is dimorphic and switches from a yeast form to a pseudohyphal (PH) form when starved for nitrogen. PH cells are elongated, bud in a unipolar manner, and invade the agar substrate. We assessed the requirements for actin in mediating the dramatic morphogenetic events that accompany the transition to PH growth. Twelve "alanine scan" alleles of the single yeast actin gene (ACT1) were tested for effects on filamentation, unipolar budding, agar invasion, and cell elongation. Some act1 mutations affect all phenotypes, whereas others affect only one or two aspects of PH growth. Tests of intragenic complementation among specific act1 mutations support the phenotypic evidence for multiple actin functions in filamentous growth. We present evidence that interaction between actin and the actin-binding protein fimbrin is important for PH growth and suggest that association of different actin-binding proteins with actin mediates the multiple functions of actin in filamentous growth. Furthermore, characterization of cytoskeletal structure in wild type and act1/act1 mutants indicates that PH cell morphogenesis requires the maintenance of a highly polarized actin cytoskeleton. Collectively, this work demonstrates that actin plays a central role in fungal dimorphism.

Endocytic internalization in yeast and animal cells: similar and different

The internalization step of endocytosis has been the focus of several laboratories during the last forty years. Unlike some other budding events in the cell, many fundamental questions regarding the molecular machinery involved in the mechanism of budding itself still remain unsolved. Over the last few years the general picture of the field has quickly evolved from the originally simplistic view which postulated that clathrin polymerization is the major force driving budding at the plasma membrane. Refinement of the assays and molecular markers to measure endocytosis in animal cells has shown that other factors in addition to the clathrin coat are required and that endocytosis can also take place through clathrin-independent mechanisms. At the same time, recent introduction of genetic approaches to study endocytosis has accelerated the identification of molecules required for this process. The isolation of endocytosis mutants in budding yeast has been especially fruitful in this respect. Preliminary comparison of the results obtained in yeast and animal cells did not seem to coincide, but further progress in both systems now suggests that part of the divergence originally seen may be due to the particular experimental approaches used rather than fundamental differences in endocytic mechanisms. In this review we present a short historical overview on the advances made in yeast and animal cells regarding the study of endocytosis, underlining both emerging similarities and still interesting differences.

A role for the Pcl9-Pho85 cyclin-cdk complex at the M/G1 boundary in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PHO85 is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) with roles in phosphate and glycogen metabolism and cell cycle progression. As a CDK, Pho85 is activated by association with Pho85 cyclins (Pcls), of which 10 are known. PCL1, PCL2 and PCL9 are the only members of the Pho85 cyclin family that are expressed in a cell cycle-regulated pattern. We found that PCL9 is expressed in late M/early G1 phase of the cell cycle and is activated by the transcription factor, Swi5. This pattern of regulation is different from PCL1 and PCL2, which are expressed later in G1 phase and are regulated primarily by the transcription factor SBF. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments using in vitro translated proteins showed that Pcl9 and Pho85 form a complex. Furthermore, immunoprecipitated Pcl9 complexes from yeast lysates were capable of phosphorylating the exogenous substrate Pho4. The Pcl9-associated kinase activity was dependent on PHO85, showing that Pcl9 and Pho85 form a functionally active kinase complex in vivo. Deletion of PCL9 in diploid cells caused random, rather than bipolar, budding in 18% of cells. In contrast, deletion of PCL2, the closest relative of PCL9, had no effect on the budding pattern. Deleting more members of the PCL1,2 subfamily (which includes PCL9) increased the percentage of random budding in the cell population. When all members of the PCL1,2 subfamily were deleted, 73% of cells budded randomly, a value similar to that obtained when the CDK partner PHO85 was deleted. Our results show that PCL9 and PHO85 form a functional kinase complex and suggest a role for Pho85 CDKs at the M/G1 boundary.

The Spa2-related protein, Sph1p, is important for polarized growth in yeast

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein Sph1p is both structurally and functionally related to the polarity protein, Spa2p. Sph1p and Spa2p are predicted to share three 100-amino acid domains each exceeding 30% sequence identity, and the amino-terminal domain of each protein contains a direct repeat common to Homo sapiens and Caenorhabditis elegans protein sequences. sph1- and spa2-deleted cells possess defects in mating projection morphology and pseudohyphal growth. sph1(Delta) spa2(Delta) double mutants also exhibit a strong haploid invasive growth defect and an exacerbated mating projection defect relative to either sph1(Delta) or spa2(Delta) single mutants. Consistent with a role in polarized growth, Sph1p localizes to growth sites in a cell cycle-dependent manner: Sph1p concentrates as a cortical patch at the presumptive bud site in unbudded cells, at the tip of small, medium and large buds, and at the bud neck prior to cytokinesis. In pheromone-treated cells, Sph1p localizes to the tip of the mating projection. Proper localization of Sph1p to sites of active growth during budding and mating requires Spa2p. Sph1p interacts in the two-hybrid system with three mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinases (MAPKKs): Mkk1p and Mkk2p, which function in the cell wall integrity/cell polarization MAP kinase pathway, and Ste7p, which operates in the pheromone and pseudohyphal signaling response pathways. Sph1p also interacts weakly with STE11, the MAPKKK known to activate STE7. Moreover, two-hybrid interactions between SPH1 and STE7 and STE11 occur independently of STE5, a proposed scaffolding protein which interacts with several members of this MAP kinase module. We speculate that Spa2p and Sph1p may function during pseudohyphal and haploid invasive growth to help tether this MAP kinase module to sites of polarized growth. Our results indicate that Spa2p and Sph1p comprise two related proteins important for the control of cell morphogenesis in yeast.

Control of reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton by Rho family small GTP-binding proteins in yeast

Accumulating evidence indicates that Rho family small GTP-binding proteins regulate reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. There are members of the Rho family in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which powerful molecular genetical approaches are applicable. Recent identification of regulators and targets of the Rho family members has enhanced our understanding of the regulation and modes of action of Rho family members in reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton.

Kar9p is a novel cortical protein required for cytoplasmic microtubule orientation in yeast

kar9 was originally identified as a bilateral karyogamy mutant, in which the two zygotic nuclei remained widely separated and the cytoplasmic microtubules were misoriented (Kurihara, L.J., C.T. Beh, M. Latterich, R. Schekman, and M.D. Rose. 1994. J. Cell Biol. 126:911-923.). We now report a general defect in nuclear migration and microtubule orientation in kar9 mutants. KAR9 encodes a novel 74-kD protein that is not essential for life. The kar9 mitotic defect was similar to mutations in dhc1/dyn1 (dynein heavy chain gene), jnm1, and act5. kar9Delta dhc1Delta, kar9Delta jnm1Delta, and kar9Delta act5Delta double mutants were synthetically lethal, suggesting that these genes function in partially redundant pathways to carry out nuclear migration. A functional GFP-Kar9p fusion protein localized to a single dot at the tip of the shmoo projection. In mitotic cells, GFP-Kar9p localized to a cortical dot with both mother-daughter asymmetry and cell cycle dependence. In small-budded cells through anaphase, GFP-Kar9p was found at the tip of the growing bud. In telophase and G1 unbudded cells, no localization was observed. By indirect immunofluorescence, cytoplasmic microtubules intersected the GFP-Kar9p dot. Nocodazole experiments demonstrated that Kar9p's cortical localization was microtubule independent. We propose that Kar9p is a component of a cortical adaptor complex that orients cytoplasmic microtubules.

Integrity of a Zn finger-like domain in SamB is crucial for morphogenesis in ascomycetous fungi

Genetic features determine the site of polarized growth in filamentous fungi and lead to hyphal tip extension or subapical branching. We have isolated the samB gene (suppressor of anucleate metulae) of Aspergillus nidulans which encodes a 66 kDa protein carrying an atypical Cys4 and an additional Cys2/His/Cys Zn finger motif at the carboxy-terminus. Such novel Zn finger-like domains have recently been found in several other developmental regulators in organisms ranging from yeast to man. Deletion of this domain at the carboxy-terminus of SamB led to premature hyphal ramification, mislocalization of septa and suppression of the asporogenous phenotype of the developmental mutant aps (anucleate primary sterigmata). A DeltasamB deletion strain displayed an identical phenotype. A homologous gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was also characterized whose deletion resulted in a multi-budding phenotype; thus it was named MUB1. An underlying common mechanism for both genes in determination of the onset of polarized growth and its links to other cellular developmental processes is discussed.

Role of small G proteins in yeast cell polarization and wall biosynthesis

In the vegetative (mitotic) cycle and during sexual conjugation, yeast cells display polarized growth, giving rise to a bud or to a mating projection, respectively. In both cases one can distinguish three steps in these processes: choice of a growth site, organization of the growth site, and actual growth and morphogenesis. In all three steps, small GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) and their regulators play essential signaling functions. For the choice of a bud site, Bud1, a small G protein, Bud2, a negative regulator of Bud1, and Bud5, an activator, are all required. If any of them is defective, the cell loses its ability to select a proper bud position and buds randomly. In the organization of the bud site or of the site in which a mating projection appears, Cdc42, its activator Cdc24, and its negative regulators play a fundamental role. In the absence of Cdc42 or Cdc24, the actin cytoskeleton does not become organized and budding does not take place. Finally, another small G protein, Rho1, is required for activity of beta (1-->3)glucan synthase, the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of the major structural component of the yeast cell wall. In all of the above processes, G proteins can work as molecular switches because of their ability to shift between an active GTP-bound state and an inactive GDP-bound state.

Actin-binding verprolin is a polarity development protein required for the morphogenesis and function of the yeast actin cytoskeleton

Yeast verprolin, encoded by VRP1, is implicated in cell growth, cytoskeletal organization, endocytosis and mitochondrial protein distribution and function. We show that verprolin is also required for bipolar bud-site selection. Previously we reported that additional actin suppresses the temperature-dependent growth defect caused by a mutation in VRP1. Here we show that additional actin suppresses all known defects caused by vrp1-1 and conclude that the defects relate to an abnormal cytoskeleton. Using the two-hybrid system, we show that verprolin binds actin. An actin-binding domain maps to the LKKAET hexapeptide located in the first 70 amino acids. A similar hexapeptide in other acting-binding proteins was previously shown to be necessary for actin-binding activity. The entire 70- amino acid motif is conserved in novel higher eukaryotic proteins that we predict to be actin-binding, and also in the actin-binding proteins, WASP and N-WASP. Verprolin-GFP in live cells has a cell cycle-dependent distribution similar to the actin cortical cytoskeleton. In fixed cells hemagglutinin-tagged Vrp1p often co-localizes with actin in cortical patches. However, disassembly of the actin cytoskeleton using Latrunculin-A does not alter verprolin's location, indicating that verprolin establishes and maintains its location independent of the actin cytoskeleton. Verprolin is a new member of the actin-binding protein family that serves as a polarity development protein, perhaps by anchoring actin. We speculate that the effects of verprolin upon the actin cytoskeleton might influence mitochondrial protein sorting/function via mRNA distribution.

Mutations synthetically lethal with tpm1delta lie in genes involved in morphogenesis

Yeast contains two genes, TPM1 and TPM2, encoding tropomyosins, either of which can provide an essential function in the yeast cytoskeleton. To elucidate more clearly the function of the major tropomyosin, encoded by TPM1, we have isolated mutations that confer synthetic lethality with the null mutant of TPM1. Here we describe a phenotypic and genetic analysis of mutations in TSL1/BEM2, TSL2, TSL3, TSL5, and TSL6 (tropomyosin synthetic lethal). All the mutants exhibit clear morphological and some actin cytoskeletal defects, but are not noticeably defective in secretion, endocytosis, or organelle segregation. The lethality conferred by tsl tpm1delta mutations could be specifically suppressed by either TPM1 or an additional copy of TPM2. This implies that the essential function compromised in the tsl tpm1delta constructs is the same essential function for which Tpm1p or Tpm2p is necessary. Synthetic interactions and unlinked noncomplementation were observed between the tsl mutants, suggesting that they participate in related functions involving morphogenesis. In support of this, tsl6-1 was identified as an allele of the nonessential gene SLT2 or MPK1 whose product is a MAP kinase regulating cell wall synthesis. These results indicate that this synthetic lethality approach provides a sensitive screen for the isolation of mutations affecting morphogenesis, many of which are likely to be in nonessential genes, like BEM2 and SLT2.

Functional assessment of the yeast Rvs161 and Rvs167 protein domains

Mutations in RVS161 and RVS167 yeast genes induce identical phenotypes associated to actin cytoskeleton disorders. The whole Rvs161 protein is similar to the amino-terminal part of Rvs167p, thus defining a RVS domain. In addition to this domain, Rvs167p contains a central glycine-proline-alanine rich domain and a SH3 domain. To assess the function of these different domains we have expressed recombinant Rvs proteins in rvs mutant strains. Phenotype analysis has shown that the RVS and SH3 domains are necessary for phenotypical complementation, whereas the GPA domain is not. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the RVS domains from Rvs161p and Rvs167p have distinct roles, and that the SH3 domain needs the specific RVS domain of Rvs167p to function. These results suggest that Rvs161p and Rvs167p play distinct roles, while acting together in a common function.

cdc12p, a protein required for cytokinesis in fission yeast, is a component of the cell division ring and interacts with profilin

As in many other eukaryotic cells, cell division in fission yeast depends on the assembly of an actin ring that circumscribes the middle of the cell. Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc12 is an essential gene necessary for actin ring assembly and septum formation. Here we show that cdc12p is a member of a family of proteins including Drosophila diaphanous, Saccharomyces cerevisiae BNI1, and S. pombe fus1, which are involved in cytokinesis or other actin-mediated processes. Using indirect immunofluorescence, we show that cdc12p is located in the cell division ring and not in other actin structures. When overexpressed, cdc12p is located at a medial spot in interphase that anticipates the future ring site. cdc12p localization is altered in actin ring mutants. cdc8 (tropomyosin homologue), cdc3 (profilin homologue), and cdc15 mutants exhibit no specific cdc12p staining during mitosis. cdc4 mutant cells exhibit a medial cortical cdc12p spot in place of a ring. mid1 mutant cells generally exhibit a cdc12p spot with a single cdc12p strand extending in a random direction. Based on these patterns, we present a model in which ring assembly originates from a single point on the cortex and in which a molecular pathway for the functions of cytokinesis proteins is suggested. Finally, we found that cdc12 and cdc3 mutants show a synthetic-lethal genetic interaction, and a proline-rich domain of cdc12p binds directly to profilin cdc3p in vitro, suggesting that one function of cdc12p in ring assembly is to bind profilin.

Aip3p/Bud6p, a yeast actin-interacting protein that is involved in morphogenesis and the selection of bipolar budding sites

A search for Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins that interact with actin in the two-hybrid system and a screen for mutants that affect the bipolar budding pattern identified the same gene, AIP3/BUD6. This gene is not essential for mitotic growth but is necessary for normal morphogenesis. MATa/alpha daughter cells lacking Aip3p place their first buds normally at their distal poles but choose random sites for budding in subsequent cell cycles. This suggests that actin and associated proteins are involved in placing the bipolar positional marker at the division site but not at the distal tip of the daughter cell. In addition, although aip3 mutant cells are not obviously defective in the initial polarization of the cytoskeleton at the time of bud emergence, they appear to lose cytoskeletal polarity as the bud enlarges, resulting in the formation of cells that are larger and rounder than normal. aip3 mutant cells also show inefficient nuclear migration and nuclear division, defects in the organization of the secretory system, and abnormal septation, all defects that presumably reflect the involvement of Aip3p in the organization and/or function of the actin cytoskeleton. The sequence of Aip3p is novel but contains a predicted coiled-coil domain near its C terminus that may mediate the observed homo-oligomerization of the protein. Aip3p shows a distinctive localization pattern that correlates well with its likely sites of action: it appears at the presumptive bud site prior to bud emergence, remains near the tips of small bund, and forms a ring (or pair of rings) in the mother-bud neck that is detectable early in the cell cycle but becomes more prominent prior to cytokinesis. Surprisingly, the localization of Aip3p does not appear to require either polarized actin or the septin proteins of the neck filaments.