ASPA — Verticillium dahliae

Summary

VDAG_04382 (VdASPA, also known as ASPA, CDC11, SPN3, SPN7, VdCDC11, VdSPN3, or VdSPN7) in Verticillium dahliae encodes a cell division control protein belonging to the septin family, characterized by a G_SEPTIN domain and P-loop NTPase domain. The product exhibits GTPase activity, GTP binding, and phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate, 1-phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate binding, and functions as a structural constituent of the cytoskeleton. VdASPA is associated with septin ring assembly and disassembly, cytokinesis, cell polarity maintenance, chitin localization, ER polarization, and adhesion of symbiont to host. It localizes to the septin cytoskeleton, hyphal septin ring, and cellular bud neck septin structure. The gene is linked to chlamydospore formation, G1/S cell cycle transition, and resistance to chemicals. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to reduced virulence.