Polarized growth is critical for the development and maintenance of diverse organisms and tissues but particularly so in fungi, where nutrient uptake, communication, and reproduction all rely on cell asymmetries. To achieve polarized growth, fungi spatially organize both their cytosol and cortical membranes. Septins, a family of GTP-binding proteins, are key regulators of spatial compartmentalization in fungi and other eukaryotes. Septins form higher-order structures on fungal plasma membranes and are thought to contribute to the generation of cell asymmetries by acting as molecular scaffolds and forming diffusional barriers. Here we discuss the links between septins and polarized growth and consider molecular models for how septins contribute to cellular asymmetry in fungi.
Keywords: asymmetry; diffusion barrier; polar growth; scaffold; septins.