Microtubules in non-conventional yeasts

Abstract

Microtubules polymerise from tubulin proteins and play a significant role in the growth and proliferation of eukaryotic cells. In yeasts, most studies on microtubules and tubulins have utilised the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe model systems. However, more recently interest in the microtubules of other non-conventional yeast and fungal species has increased, both for investigation of biological processes such as fungal evolution and for applications such as developing antifungal drugs. We review the microtubule cytoskeleton and its role in yeast and fungal cellular processes in vivo and the tubulin proteins found in yeast cells and their study in vitro, together with the recent advances in cryoEM leading to detailed molecular structures of yeast microtubules. We examine what is known about the microtubule cytoskeleton in non-conventional yeasts and highlight the significant differences, as well as many conserved aspects, in their microtubule biology compared to the two model yeasts. Finally, we discuss the potential role of microtubules as drug targets for treatment of yeast and fungal infections.