Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot
N. crassa COT1 is the founding member of the NDR kinase family and is involved in the regulation of cell elongation and branching. Expression of cot-1, and the corresponding COT1 kinase, is regulated both transcriptionally as well as post transcriptionally, and phosphorylation was shown to be involved in the COT1-dependent regulation of hyphal elongation, branching and of asexual development. COT1 is also methylated on arginine residues and the N. crassa protein arginine methyltransfereases (PRMTs) apparently share cellular pathways previously reported to be regulated by COT1. Furthermore, at least one PRMT (skb-1) physically interacts with COT1. Phosphorylation and Arginine methylation are post-translational modifications that regulate COT1 function, in part, by affecting COT1 interactions with its Mps1-binder (MOB2A/B) co-activators.
