Quantification of Aspergillus nidulans Actin Dynamics during Early Growth and Septum Formation

Authors

Huso, W., Hill, G., Tarimala, G., Lee, J., Doan, A. G., Lee, J., Gray, K. J., Edwards, H., Harris, S., Marten, M. R.

Abstract

Filamentous fungi have complex, three-dimensional growth patterns and a non-adherent nature, which can present challenges for live-cell imaging for quantitative assessment of dynamic cellular processes. To address these challenges, a live-cell imaging system has been modified to constrain the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans to growth in a single focal plane. This enables high-resolution time-lapse imaging of actin dynamics throughout development using a Lifeact actin marker. This system was used to perform kymographic analysis to quantify actin velocity and hyphal extension rates during early hyphal development. Results show two distinct growth phases: germ tube extension (0.58 m/min) and hyphal extension (1.52 m/min). Actin exhibited bi-directional transport along hyphae with biased movement toward the spore body. Actin was also observed re-localizing from hyphal tips to sites of septum formation indicating active redistribution of cytoskeletal resources based on cellular demands. This technological advancement overcomes longstanding limitations in fungal live-cell imaging and provides a new platform for quantitative systems-level analysis of mycelial development, offering new insights into the spatiotemporal coordination of cytoskeletal dynamics during filamentous growth.

Preprint server: bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 29 Jan 2026.

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