(116at) Cellular Division: Analyzing Spatial Localization and Endoplasmic Reticulum Morphology in Budding Yeast, S. Cerevisiae

The first organelle of the secretory pathway, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), is responsible for multiple critical processes in the cell including protein translocation, protein folding and maturation, and ERAD (ER Associated Degradation) of misfolded proteins. BiP, the molecular chaperone residing in the ER lumen of yeast, is involved in these intracellular processes and interacts directly with membrane bound co-chaperone Sec63 during protein translocation. Using a combination of confocal light microscopy and GFP variants, we show that spatial heterogeneity exists between ER membrane and luminal proteins. We seek to determine if spatial heterogeneity exists during cellular division in order to further understand organelle inheritance. Previous work performed in the field of yeast cellular division monitors the protein actin during the budding process. However, the spatiotemporal effects of protein localization and ER morphology during cellular division has yet to be determined.