Protein import, nucleus construction

Fig. 2.3 The development of polarity and asymmetric division in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The diagram is reproduced in a slightly simplified form from the work of Lew Reed (1995) with the permission of Current Opinion in Genetics and Development, (a) The F-actin cytoskeleton strands = actin cables ( ) cortical actin patches, (b) The polarity of growth is indicated by the direction of the arrows (arrows in many directions signifies isotropic growth), (c) 10-nm filaments which are assembled to form a ring at the neck between mother and bud. (d) Construction of the cap at the pre-bud site. Notice that the proteins of the cap become dispersed at the apical/isotropic switch, first over the whole surface of the bud, then more widely. Finally, secretion becomes refocussed at the neck in time for cytokinesis, (e) The status and distribution of the nucleus and microtubules of the spindle. Notice how the spindle pole body ( ) plays an important part in orientation of the mitotic spindle.

A non-dividing nucleus (in a state) resting, is actually making the molecules which allow the rest of the cell to function. One of the most important events taking place in the nucleus is transcription, which is the transfer of the instructions on the DNA to the RNA. DNA is a stable store of genetic information, which must be transcribed (via RNA molecules) to construct the proteins coded in its blueprint. 

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