Discussion

Trypanosoma brucei polo-like kinase (TbPLK) is a master regulator of cytoskeletal morphogenesis. We identified the potential TbPLK substrate TOEFAZ1, which localizes to the new extending FAZ, as essential for cleavage furrow ingression in cytokinesis. Analysis of TOEFAZ1 has identified the function of discrete domains, including cell cycle regulation and localization. An RNAi complementation strategy shows that α-helical and zinc finger domains are essential for TOEFAZ1 function. As TOEFAZ1 is conserved in kinetoplastids, elucidating its function will shed light on their unique cytokinetic process.