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Division of Biology, Department of Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan

Actin-capping protein (CP) is a heterodimeric protein which is expressed in various eukaryotic cells. CP binds to the barbed end of the actin filaments in vitro and inhibits both the association and dissociation of actin monomers at this end. However, the cellular role of CP has not been uncovered. Here we investigated the function of CP in fission yeast cells. The fission yeast CP is composed of Acp1 and Acp2. It was found that Acp2 accumulated as cortical dots at the cell ends during interphase and the mid-region of mitotic cells, which disappeared in the absence of Acp1 or F-actin. Acp1 and Acp2, when co-over-expressed, decreased F-actin structures in cells, and cytokinesis was often interrupted in these cells. On the other hand, disruption of one of the CP genes affected the distribution of F-actin patches at cell ends and decreased the rate of actin depolymerization in vivo. Moreover, genetic analysis showed that CP controls actin dynamics together with ADF/cofilin and profilin. In addition, CP is likely involved in assembling the F-actin contractile ring and F-actin patch with F-actin-crosslinking proteins.

^aPresent address: Doctoral Program in Structural Biosciences, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tennohdai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.

^* Correspondence: E-mail: knakano{at}biol.tsukuba.ac.jp