The Ras and Rho GTPases genetically interact to co-ordinately regulate polarity during development in Penicillium marneffei

Abstract

Ras and Rho GTPases have been examined in a wide variety of eukaryotes and play varied and often overlapping roles in cell polarization and development. Studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammalian cells have defined some of the central activities of these GTPases. However, these paradigms do not explain the role of these proteins in all eukaryotes. Unlike yeast, but like more complex eukaryotes, filamentous fungi have Rac-like proteins in addition to Ras and Cdc42. To investigate the unique functions of these proteins and determine how they interact to coordinately regulate morphogenesis during growth and development we undertook a genetic analysis of GTPase function by generating doub..