ABSTRACT
Since George Beadle and Edward Tatum (1941) experimented on genetic controls of biochemical processes using the fungus Neurospora crassa as a model system, fungi have taken the center stage for research in genetics, molecular and cellular biology, and more recently molecular cytogenetics. The unicellular yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe have gained wide acceptance by many to be the organism of choice besides Neurospora and Aspergillus. In retrospect, progress appears to have followed the innovation of new technologies. For example, the creation of temperature-sensitive mutations has made it possible to analyze genes and their functions, gene manipulations can create truncated genes whereby specific domain and its function may be analyzed, and the yeast two-hybrid system provides a powerful tool to study protein-protein interactions. More recently, fusion proteins, created with green fluorescent protein (GFP), yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), and the like, have allowed live subcellular localization of specific proteins in question under confocal and/or fluorescence microscopy. For more accurate subcellular localization under electron microscopy, Myc-or Protein-A conjugates, or Glutathion-S-transferase (GST) conjugates have been used in conjunction with indirect immunogold localization. In addition, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has allowed localization of specific DNA or RNA species, such as mRNA transport or localization of telomere clusters (see references in this chapter). In the last six or so years, there has been an enormous information explosion in the area of fungal nuclei and chromosomes, especially the nucleolus, the spindle pole body (SPB), the nuclear pore complex (NPC), the centromere and the telomere. It is most gratifying to have the privilege to provide a brief review on these findings, but it is also with a humbling sense of inadequacy that many works may not be included for the lack of time and space. For those authors that I missed, my sincere apologies.
