Excitable signal relay in Dictyostelium discoideum

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Mestler, Troy; Schwab, David; Mehta, Pankaj; Gregor, Thomas

2011-03-01

The social amoeba D. discoideum transitions when starved from a collection of individual cells into a multicellular spore-complex. During this process, amoebae display several interesting phenomena including intercellular signaling, pattern formation, and cell differentiation. At the heart of these phenomena is the exchange of the signaling molecule cyclic-AMP, which has previously been extensively studied using a variety of indirect methods. Here we employ a sensor that uses a compound fluorescent protein whose emission spectrum changes in the presence of bound cyclic AMP to directly monitor, in real time and in vivo, intracellular cAMP concentrations. We use cells expressing this sensor in microchemostats to study intracellular cAMP concentrations at the single-cell level in response to precise, dynamically-controlled external cAMP stimulation. Specifically, we show that these cells display excitability much like that found in neurons and agree experimentally quite well with a modified FitzHugh-Nagumo dynamical systems model. This single-cell model sets groundwork for a comprehensive multicellular model that promises to explain emergent behavior in D. discoideum.

Transient Kinetics of a cGMP-dependent cGMP-specific Phosphodiesterase from Dictyostelium discoideum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Lookeren Campagne, Michiel M. van

1984-01-01

Chemotactic stimulation of Dictyostelium discoideum cells induces a fast transient increase of cGMP levels which reach a peak at 10 s. Prestimulation levels are recovered in ~30 s, which is achieved mainly by the action of a guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase. This enzyme

Caffeine sensitive repair and mutation induction in UV- or γ-ray-irradiated Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanishi, Nobuji; Kinjo, Yasuhito; Watanabe, Makoto.

1990-01-01

It seems that certain kinds of chemical substances increase the distortion in molecules, change the high order microstructures of nuclei and chromosomes, and exert large variation to the function of repairing the damage of genes due to radiation and others, by coupling with DNA, protein or enzyme system. It has been well known that caffeine is one of such compounds, and by coupling with DNA, it increases the damage due to ultraviolet ray and gives the action of obstructing repair in addition to the action of inducing the abnormality of chromosomes and mutation. Dictyostelium discoideum has the simplest nuclear structure, and shows extremely high resistance to radiation by its high restoration ability. The authors have advanced the research by paying attention to its characteristics, and comparing the Dictyostelium discoideum as one model system with the lymphocyte system of higher animals. This time, the authors analyzed the characteristics of two kinds of sensitivity repair process of caffeine, and investigated into their relation with the occurrence of mutation. The experimental method and the results are reported. (K.I.)

Caffeine sensitive repair and mutation induction in UV- or. gamma. -ray-irradiated Dictyostelium discoideum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanishi, Nobuji (Tokyo Metropolitan Research Lab. of Public Health (Japan)); Kinjo, Yasuhito; Watanabe, Makoto

1990-01-01

It seems that certain kinds of chemical substances increase the distortion in molecules, change the high order microstructures of nuclei and chromosomes, and exert large variation to the function of repairing the damage of genes due to radiation and others, by coupling with DNA, protein or enzyme system. It has been well known that caffeine is one of such compounds, and by coupling with DNA, it increases the damage due to ultraviolet ray and gives the action of obstructing repair in addition to the action of inducing the abnormality of chromosomes and mutation. Dictyostelium discoideum has the simplest nuclear structure, and shows extremely high resistance to radiation by its high restoration ability. The authors have advanced the research by paying attention to its characteristics, and comparing the Dictyostelium discoideum as one model system with the lymphocyte system of higher animals. This time, the authors analyzed the characteristics of two kinds of sensitivity repair process of caffeine, and investigated into their relation with the occurrence of mutation. The experimental method and the results are reported. (K.I.).

Evaluating Different Virulence Traits of Klebsiella pneumoniae Using Dictyostelium discoideum and Zebrafish Larvae as Host Models

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Andrés E. Marcoleta

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Multiresistant and invasive hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strains have become one of the most urgent bacterial pathogen threats. Recent analyses revealed a high genomic plasticity of this species, harboring a variety of mobile genetic elements associated with virulent strains, encoding proteins of unknown function whose possible role in pathogenesis have not been addressed. K. pneumoniae virulence has been studied mainly in animal models such as mice and pigs, however, practical, financial, ethical and methodological issues limit the use of mammal hosts. Consequently, the development of simple and cost-effective experimental approaches with alternative host models is needed. In this work we described the use of both, the social amoeba and professional phagocyte Dictyostelium discoideum and the fish Danio rerio (zebrafish as surrogate host models to study K. pneumoniae virulence. We compared three K. pneumoniae clinical isolates evaluating their resistance to phagocytosis, intracellular survival, lethality, intestinal colonization, and innate immune cells recruitment. Optical transparency of both host models permitted studying the infective process in vivo, following the Klebsiella-host interactions through live-cell imaging. We demonstrated that K. pneumoniae RYC492, but not the multiresistant strains 700603 and BAA-1705, is virulent to both host models and elicits a strong immune response. Moreover, this strain showed a high resistance to phagocytosis by D. discoideum, an increased ability to form biofilms and a more prominent and irregular capsule. Besides, the strain 700603 showed the unique ability to replicate inside amoeba cells. Genomic comparison of the K. pneumoniae strains showed that the RYC492 strain has a higher overall content of virulence factors although no specific genes could be linked to its phagocytosis resistance, nor to the intracellular survival observed for the 700603 strain. Our results indicate that both zebrafish

Xpf and not the Fanconi anaemia proteins or Rev3 accounts for the extreme resistance to cisplatin in Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Xiao-Yin Zhang

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Organisms like Dictyostelium discoideum, often referred to as DNA damage "extremophiles", can survive exposure to extremely high doses of radiation and DNA crosslinking agents. These agents form highly toxic DNA crosslinks that cause extensive DNA damage. However, little is known about how Dictyostelium and the other "extremophiles" can tolerate and repair such large numbers of DNA crosslinks. Here we describe a comprehensive genetic analysis of crosslink repair in Dictyostelium discoideum. We analyse three gene groups that are crucial for a replication-coupled repair process that removes DNA crosslinks in higher eukarya: The Fanconi anaemia pathway (FA, translesion synthesis (TLS, and nucleotide excision repair. Gene disruption studies unexpectedly reveal that the FA genes and the TLS enzyme Rev3 play minor roles in tolerance to crosslinks in Dictyostelium. However, disruption of the Xpf nuclease subcomponent results in striking hypersensitivity to crosslinks. Genetic interaction studies reveal that although Xpf functions with FA and TLS gene products, most Xpf mediated repair is independent of these two gene groups. These results suggest that Dictyostelium utilises a distinct Xpf nuclease-mediated repair process to remove crosslinked DNA. Other DNA damage-resistant organisms and chemoresistant cancer cells might adopt a similar strategy to develop resistance to DNA crosslinking agents.

Chemotaxis to cyclic AMP and folic acid is mediated by different G proteins in Dictyostelium discoideum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kesbeke, Fanja; Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Wit, René J.W. de; Snaar-Jagalska, B. Ewa

1990-01-01

Mutant Frigid A (fgdA) of Dictyostelium discoideum is defective in a functional Gα2 subunit of a G protein and is characterized by a complete blockade of the cyclic AMP-mediated sensory transduction steps, including cyclic AMP relay, chemotaxis and the cyclic GMP response. Folic acid-mediated

An Autocrine Proliferation Repressor Regulates Dictyostelium discoideum Proliferation and Chemorepulsion Using the G Protein-Coupled Receptor GrlH

OpenAIRE

Yu Tang; Yuantai Wu; Sarah E. Herlihy; Francisco J. Brito-Aleman; Jose H. Ting; Chris Janetopoulos; Richard H. Gomer; Scott D. Emr

2018-01-01

In eukaryotic microbes, little is known about signals that inhibit the proliferation of the cells that secrete the signal, and little is known about signals (chemorepellents) that cause cells to move away from the source of the signal. Autocrine proliferation repressor protein A (AprA) is a protein secreted by the eukaryotic microbe Dictyostelium discoideum. AprA is a chemorepellent for and inhibits the proliferation of D. discoideum. We previously found that cells sense AprA using G proteins...

Whole genome sequencing of mutation accumulation lines reveals a low mutation rate in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Gerda Saxer

Full Text Available Spontaneous mutations play a central role in evolution. Despite their importance, mutation rates are some of the most elusive parameters to measure in evolutionary biology. The combination of mutation accumulation (MA experiments and whole-genome sequencing now makes it possible to estimate mutation rates by directly observing new mutations at the molecular level across the whole genome. We performed an MA experiment with the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and sequenced the genomes of three randomly chosen lines using high-throughput sequencing to estimate the spontaneous mutation rate in this model organism. The mitochondrial mutation rate of 6.76×10(-9, with a Poisson confidence interval of 4.1×10(-9 - 9.5×10(-9, per nucleotide per generation is slightly lower than estimates for other taxa. The mutation rate estimate for the nuclear DNA of 2.9×10(-11, with a Poisson confidence interval ranging from 7.4×10(-13 to 1.6×10(-10, is the lowest reported for any eukaryote. These results are consistent with low microsatellite mutation rates previously observed in D. discoideum and low levels of genetic variation observed in wild D. discoideum populations. In addition, D. discoideum has been shown to be quite resistant to DNA damage, which suggests an efficient DNA-repair mechanism that could be an adaptation to life in soil and frequent exposure to intracellular and extracellular mutagenic compounds. The social aspect of the life cycle of D. discoideum and a large portion of the genome under relaxed selection during vegetative growth could also select for a low mutation rate. This hypothesis is supported by a significantly lower mutation rate per cell division in multicellular eukaryotes compared with unicellular eukaryotes.

A secreted protein is an endogenous chemorepellant in Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Phillips, Jonathan E; Gomer, Richard H

2012-07-03

Chemorepellants may play multiple roles in physiological and pathological processes. However, few endogenous chemorepellants have been identified, and how they function is unclear. We found that the autocrine signal AprA, which is produced by growing Dictyostelium discoideum cells and inhibits their proliferation, also functions as a chemorepellant. Wild-type cells at the edge of a colony show directed movement outward from the colony, whereas cells lacking AprA do not. Cells show directed movement away from a source of recombinant AprA and dialyzed conditioned media from wild-type cells, but not dialyzed conditioned media from aprA(-) cells. The secreted protein CfaD, the G protein Gα8, and the kinase QkgA are necessary for the chemorepellant activity of AprA as well as its proliferation-inhibiting activity, whereas the putative transcription factor BzpN is dispensable for the chemorepellant activity of AprA but necessary for inhibition of proliferation. Phospholipase C and PI3 kinases 1 and 2, which are necessary for the activity of at least one other chemorepellant in Dictyostelium, are not necessary for recombinant AprA chemorepellant activity. Starved cells are not repelled by recombinant AprA, suggesting that aggregation-phase cells are not sensitive to the chemorepellant effect. Cell tracking indicates that AprA affects the directional bias of cell movement, but not cell velocity or the persistence of cell movement. Together, our data indicate that the endogenous signal AprA acts as an autocrine chemorepellant for Dictyostelium cells.

Binding and assembly of actin filaments by plasma membranes from dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, M.A.; Luna, E.J.

1986-01-01

The binding of native, 125 I-Bolton-Hunter-labeled actin to purified Dictyostelium discoideum plasma membranes was measured using a sedimentation assay. Binding was saturable only in the presence of the actin capping protein, gelsolin. The binding curves were sigmoidal, indicating positive cooperativity at low actin concentrations. This cooperativity appeared to be due to actin-actin associations during polymerization, since phalloidin converted the curve to a hyperbolic shape. This membrane-bound actin stained with rhodamine-phalloidin and was cross-linked by m-maleimidobenzoyl succinimide ester, a bifunctional cross-linker, into multimers with the same pattern observed for cross-linked F-actin. The authors conclude that D. discoideum plasma membranes bind actin specifically and saturably and that these membranes organize actin into filaments below the normal critical concentration for polymerization. This interaction probably occurs between multiple binding sites on the membrane and the side of the actin filament, and may be related to the clustering of membrane proteins

Influence of fast advective flows on pattern formation of Dictyostelium discoideum

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Bae, Albert; Zykov, Vladimir; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2018-01-01

We report experimental and numerical results on pattern formation of self-organizing Dictyostelium discoideum cells in a microfluidic setup under a constant buffer flow. The external flow advects the signaling molecule cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) downstream, while the chemotactic cells attached to the solid substrate are not transported with the flow. At high flow velocities, elongated cAMP waves are formed that cover the whole length of the channel and propagate both parallel and perpendicular to the flow direction. While the wave period and transverse propagation velocity are constant, parallel wave velocity and the wave width increase linearly with the imposed flow. We also observe that the acquired wave shape is highly dependent on the wave generation site and the strength of the imposed flow. We compared the wave shape and velocity with numerical simulations performed using a reaction-diffusion model and found excellent agreement. These results are expected to play an important role in understanding the process of pattern formation and aggregation of D. discoideum that may experience fluid flows in its natural habitat. PMID:29590179

Identification of Pentatricopeptide Repeat Proteins in the Model Organism Dictyostelium discoideum

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Sam Manna

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR proteins are RNA binding proteins with functions in organelle RNA metabolism. They are found in all eukaryotes but have been most extensively studied in plants. We report on the identification of 12 PPR-encoding genes in the genome of the protist Dictyostelium discoideum, with potential homologs in other members of the same lineage and some predicted novel functions for the encoded gene products in protists. For one of the gene products, we show that it localizes to the mitochondria, and we also demonstrate that antisense inhibition of its expression leads to slower growth, a phenotype associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.

The Dictyostelium discoideum cellulose synthase: Structure/function analysis and identification of interacting proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard L. Blanton

2004-02-19

OAK-B135 The major accomplishments of this project were: (1) the initial characterization of dcsA, the gene for the putative catalytic subunit of cellulose synthase in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum; (2) the detection of a developmentally regulated event (unidentified, but perhaps a protein modification or association with a protein partner) that is required for cellulose synthase activity (i.e., the dcsA product is necessary, but not sufficient for cellulose synthesis); (3) the continued exploration of the developmental context of cellulose synthesis and DcsA; (4) the isolation of a GFP-DcsA-expressing strain (work in progress); and (5) the identification of Dictyostelium homologues for plant genes whose products play roles in cellulose biosynthesis. Although our progress was slow and many of our results negative, we did develop a number of promising avenues of investigation that can serve as the foundation for future projects.

A new social gene in Dictyostelium discoideum, chtB

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Santorelli Lorenzo A

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Competitive social interactions are ubiquitous in nature, but their genetic basis is difficult to determine. Much can be learned from single gene knockouts in a eukaryote microbe. The mutants can be competed with the parent to discern the social impact of that specific gene. Dictyostelium discoideum is a social amoeba that exhibits cooperative behavior in the construction of a multicellular fruiting body. It is a good model organism to study the genetic basis of cooperation since it has a sequenced genome and it is amenable to genetic manipulation. When two strains of D. discoideum are mixed, a cheater strain can exploit its social partner by differentiating more spore than its fair share relative to stalk cells. Cheater strains can be generated in the lab or found in the wild and genetic analyses have shown that cheating behavior can be achieved through many pathways. Results We have characterized the knockout mutant chtB, which was isolated from a screen for cheater mutants that were also able to form normal fruiting bodies on their own. When mixed in equal proportions with parental strain cells, chtB mutants contributed almost 60% of the total number of spores. To do so, chtB cells inhibit wild type cells from becoming spores, as indicated by counts and by the wild type cells’ reduced expression of the prespore gene, cotB. We found no obvious fitness costs (morphology, doubling time in liquid medium, spore production, and germination efficiency associated with the cheating ability of the chtB knockout. Conclusions In this study we describe a new gene in D. discoideum, chtB, which when knocked out inhibits the parental strain from producing spores. Moreover, under lab conditions, we did not detect any fitness costs associated with this behavior.

RNAi silenced Dd-grp94 (Dictyostelium discoideum glucose-regulated protein 94 kDa) cell lines in Dictyostelium exhibit marked reduction in growth rate and delay in development.

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Baviskar, Sandhya N; Shields, Malcolm S

2010-01-01

Glucose-regulated 94 kDa protein (Grp94) is a resident of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of multicellular eukaryotes. It is a constitutively expressed protein that is overexpressed in certain abnormal conditions of the cell such as depletion of glucose and calcium, and low oxygen and pH. The protein is also implicated in diseased conditions like cancer and Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the consequences of downregulation of Grp94 were investigated at both unicellular and multicellular stages of Dictyostelium discoideum. Previous studies have shown the expression of Dd-Grp94 (Dictyostelium discoideum glucose-regulated 94 kDa protein) in wild-type cells varies during development, and overexpression of Dd-Grp94 leads to abnormal cell shape and inhibition of development (i.e., formation of fruiting bodies). Grp94 is a known calcium binding protein and an efficient calcium buffer. Therefore, in the present study we hypothesized that downregulation of Dd-Grp94 protein would affect Dictyostelium cell structure, growth, and development. We found that Dd-grp94 RNAi recombinants exhibited reduced growth rate, cell size, and a subtle change in cell motility compared to the parental cells. The recombinants also exhibited a delay in development and small fruiting bodies. These results establish that Dd-grp94 plays a crucial role in determining normal cell structure, growth and differentiation.

Crystallization and preliminary characterization of dihydropteridine reductase from Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Cong; Seo, Kyung Hye; Kim, Hye Lim; Zhuang, Ningning; Park, Young Shik; Lee, Kon Ho

2008-01-01

The dihydropteridine reductase from D. discoideum has been crystallized. Diffraction data were collected from a rectangular-shaped crystal to 2.16 Å resolution. Dihydropteridine reductase from Dictyostelium discoideum (dicDHPR) can produce d-threo-BH 4 [6R-(1′R,2′R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin], a stereoisomer of l-erythro-BH 4 , in the last step of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH 4 ) recycling. In this reaction, DHPR uses NADH as a cofactor to reduce quinonoid dihydrobiopterin back to BH 4 . To date, the enzyme has been purified to homogeneity from many sources. In this report, the dicDHPR–NAD complex has been crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method with PEG 3350 as a precipitant. Rectangular-shaped crystals were obtained. Crystals grew to maximum dimensions of 0.4 × 0.6 × 0.1 mm. The crystal belonged to space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 49.81, b = 129.90, c = 78.76 Å, β = 100.00°, and contained four molecules in the asymmetric unit, forming two closely interacting dicDHPR–NAD dimers. Diffraction data were collected to 2.16 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystal structure has been determined using the molecular-replacement method

Specificity of the Cyclic GMP-Binding Activity and of a Cyclic GMP-Dependent Cyclic GMP Phosphodiesterase in Dictyostelium discoideum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Walsum, Hans van; Meer, Rob C. van der; Bulgakov, Roman; Konijn, Theo M.

1982-01-01

The nucleotide specificity of the cyclic GMP-binding activity in a homogenate of Dictyostelium discoideum was determined by competition of cyclic GMP derivatives with [8-3H] cyclic GMP for the binding sites. The results indicate that cyclic GMP is bound to the binding proteins by hydrogen bonds at

Cheating by exploitation of developmental prestalk patterning in Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Anupama Khare

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The cooperative developmental system of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is susceptible to exploitation by cheaters-strains that make more than their fair share of spores in chimerae. Laboratory screens in Dictyostelium have shown that the genetic potential for facultative cheating is high, and field surveys have shown that cheaters are abundant in nature, but the cheating mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we describe cheater C (chtC, a strong facultative cheater mutant that cheats by affecting prestalk differentiation. The chtC gene is developmentally regulated and its mRNA becomes stalk-enriched at the end of development. chtC mutants are defective in maintaining the prestalk cell fate as some of their prestalk cells transdifferentiate into prespore cells, but that defect does not affect gross developmental morphology or sporulation efficiency. In chimerae between wild-type and chtC mutant cells, the wild-type cells preferentially give rise to prestalk cells, and the chtC mutants increase their representation in the spore mass. Mixing chtC mutants with other cell-type proportioning mutants revealed that the cheating is directly related to the prestalk-differentiation propensity of the victim. These findings illustrate that a cheater can victimize cooperative strains by exploiting an established developmental pathway.

Cheating by Exploitation of Developmental Prestalk Patterning in Dictyostelium discoideum

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Khare, Anupama; Shaulsky, Gad

2010-01-01

The cooperative developmental system of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is susceptible to exploitation by cheaters—strains that make more than their fair share of spores in chimerae. Laboratory screens in Dictyostelium have shown that the genetic potential for facultative cheating is high, and field surveys have shown that cheaters are abundant in nature, but the cheating mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we describe cheater C (chtC), a strong facultative cheater mutant that cheats by affecting prestalk differentiation. The chtC gene is developmentally regulated and its mRNA becomes stalk-enriched at the end of development. chtC mutants are defective in maintaining the prestalk cell fate as some of their prestalk cells transdifferentiate into prespore cells, but that defect does not affect gross developmental morphology or sporulation efficiency. In chimerae between wild-type and chtC mutant cells, the wild-type cells preferentially give rise to prestalk cells, and the chtC mutants increase their representation in the spore mass. Mixing chtC mutants with other cell-type proportioning mutants revealed that the cheating is directly related to the prestalk-differentiation propensity of the victim. These findings illustrate that a cheater can victimize cooperative strains by exploiting an established developmental pathway. PMID:20195510

Characterization of a 1,4-. beta. -D-glucan synthase from Dictyostelium discoideum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blanton, R.L.

1992-01-15

Various aspects of research concerning Dictyostelium discoideum are presented. The initial focus of this project was upon: the characterization of potential probes for the cellulose synthase (antibody and nucleic acid), the determination of the cultural induction conditions of cellulose synthesis, the solubilization of the enzyme activity, the development of a non-inhibitory disruption buffer, the generation and isolation of mutant strains deficient in cellulose synthesis, and the development of the capability to determine the degree of polymerization of the in vitro product. I have briefly summarized our most significant findings with only selected data sets being shown in this report in the interest of brevity.

Variation, sex, and social cooperation: molecular population genetics of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Jonathan M Flowers

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Dictyostelium discoideum is a eukaryotic microbial model system for multicellular development, cell-cell signaling, and social behavior. Key models of social evolution require an understanding of genetic relationships between individuals across the genome or possibly at specific genes, but the nature of variation within D. discoideum is largely unknown. We re-sequenced 137 gene fragments in wild North American strains of D. discoideum and examined the levels and patterns of nucleotide variation in this social microbial species. We observe surprisingly low levels of nucleotide variation in D. discoideum across these strains, with a mean nucleotide diversity (pi of 0.08%, and no strong population stratification among North American strains. We also do not find any clear relationship between nucleotide divergence between strains and levels of social dominance and kin discrimination. Kin discrimination experiments, however, show that strains collected from the same location show greater ability to distinguish self from non-self than do strains from different geographic areas. This suggests that a greater ability to recognize self versus non-self may arise among strains that are more likely to encounter each other in nature, which would lead to preferential formation of fruiting bodies with clonemates and may prevent the evolution of cheating behaviors within D. discoideum populations. Finally, despite the fact that sex has rarely been observed in this species, we document a rapid decay of linkage disequilibrium between SNPs, the presence of recombinant genotypes among natural strains, and high estimates of the population recombination parameter rho. The SNP data indicate that recombination is widespread within D. discoideum and that sex as a form of social interaction is likely to be an important aspect of the life cycle.

Mitochondrial Stress Tests Using Seahorse Respirometry on Intact Dictyostelium discoideum Cells.

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Lay, Sui; Sanislav, Oana; Annesley, Sarah J; Fisher, Paul R

2016-01-01

Mitochondria not only play a critical and central role in providing metabolic energy to the cell but are also integral to the other cellular processes such as modulation of various signaling pathways. These pathways affect many aspects of cell physiology, including cell movement, growth, division, differentiation, and death. Mitochondrial dysfunction which affects mitochondrial bioenergetics and causes oxidative phosphorylation defects can thus lead to altered cellular physiology and manifest in disease. The assessment of the mitochondrial bioenergetics can thus provide valuable insights into the physiological state, and the alterations to the state of the cells. Here, we describe a method to successfully use the Seahorse XF(e)24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer to assess the mitochondrial respirometry of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum.

Identification and characterization of peptide: N- glycanase from Dictyostelium discoideum

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Gosain Anuradha

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Peptide: N- glycanase (PNGase enzyme cleaves oligosaccharides from the misfolded glycoproteins and prepares them for degradation. This enzyme plays a role in the endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation (ERAD pathway in yeast and mice but its biological importance and role in multicellular development remain largely unknown. Results In this study, the PNGase from the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum (DdPNGase was identified based on the presence of a common TG (transglutaminase core domain and its sequence homology with the known PNGases. The domain architecture and the sequence comparison validated the presence of probable functional domains in DdPNGase. The tertiary structure matched with the mouse PNGase. Here we show that DdPNGase is an essential protein, required for aggregation during multicellular development and a knockout strain of it results in small sized aggregates, all of which did not form fruiting bodies. The in situ hybridization and RT-PCR results show higher level of expression during the aggregate stage. The expression gets restricted to the prestalk region during later developmental stages. DdPNGase is a functional peptide:N-glycanase enzyme possessing deglycosylation activity, but does not possess any significant transamidation activity. Conclusions We have identified and characterized a novel PNGase from D. discoideum and confirmed its deglycosylation activity. The results emphasize the importance of PNGase in aggregation during multicellular development of this organism.

Sociogenomics of self vs. non-self cooperation during development of Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Li, Si I; Buttery, Neil J; Thompson, Christopher R L; Purugganan, Michael D

2014-07-21

Dictyostelium discoideum, a microbial model for social evolution, is known to distinguish self from non-self and show genotype-dependent behavior during chimeric development. Aside from a small number of cell-cell recognition genes, however, little is known about the genetic basis of self/non-self recognition in this species. Based on the key hypothesis that there should be differential expression of genes if D. discoideum cells were interacting with non-clone mates, we performed transcriptomic profiling study in this species during clonal vs. chimeric development. The transcriptomic profiles of D. discoideum cells in clones vs. different chimeras were compared at five different developmental stages using a customized microarray. Effects of chimerism on global transcriptional patterns associated with social interactions were observed. We find 1,759 genes significantly different between chimera and clone, 1,144 genes associated significant strain differences, and 6,586 genes developmentally regulated over time. Principal component analysis showed a small amount of the transcriptional variance to chimerism-related factors (Chimerism: 0.18%, Chimerism × Timepoint: 0.03%). There are 162 genes specifically regulated under chimeric development, with continuous small differences between chimera vs. clone over development. Almost 60% of chimera-associated differential genes were differentially expressed at the 4 h aggregate stage, which corresponds to the initial transition of D. discoideum from solitary life to a multicellular phase. A relatively small proportion of over-all variation in gene expression is explained by differences between chimeric and clonal development. The relatively small modifications in gene expression associated with chimerism is compatible with the high level of cooperation observed among different strains of D. discoideum; cells of distinct genetic backgrounds will co-aggregate indiscriminately and co-develop into fruiting bodies. Chimeric

Functional characterisation of parvulin-type peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase, PinA in Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haokip, Nemneineng; Naorem, Aruna

2017-01-01

Pin1-type parvulins are unique among PPIases that can catalyse an otherwise slow cis-trans isomerisation of phosphorylated peptide bond preceding proline in target proteins. This prolyl isomerisation process can regulate activity, stability and localisation of target proteins and thus control cellular processes like eukaryotic cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and gene regulation. Towards understanding the function of Pin1-type prolyl isomerisation in Dictyostelium discoideum, a slime mould with distinct growth and developmental phases, we identified PinA as a novel Pin1-type parvulin by its ability to complement the temperature sensitivity phenotype associated with a mutation in ESS1 in S. cerevisiae. In D. discoideum, pinA is temporally and spatially regulated during growth and development. PinA is both nuclear as well as cytoplasmic in the growing cells. We further show that loss of pinA (pinA − ) leads to decreased growth rate, reduced spore formation and abnormal prespore-prestalk patterning. We conclude that PinA is required for normal growth as well as development in D. discoideum. - Highlights: • PinA is a bona fide homologue of S. cerevisiae Ess1. • PinA is required for normal cell proliferation of D. discoideum. • PinA is spatially localised in developmental structures. • PinA is important for cell differentiation and patterning.

Nucleocytoplasmic protein translocation during mitosis in the social amoebozoan Dictyostelium discoideum.

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O'Day, Danton H; Budniak, Aldona

2015-02-01

Mitosis is a fundamental and essential life process. It underlies the duplication and survival of all cells and, as a result, all eukaryotic organisms. Since uncontrolled mitosis is a dreaded component of many cancers, a full understanding of the process is critical. Evolution has led to the existence of three types of mitosis: closed, open, and semi-open. The significance of these different mitotic species, how they can lead to a full understanding of the critical events that underlie the asexual duplication of all cells, and how they may generate new insights into controlling unregulated cell division remains to be determined. The eukaryotic microbe Dictyostelium discoideum has proved to be a valuable biomedical model organism. While it appears to utilize closed mitosis, a review of the literature suggests that it possesses a form of mitosis that lies in the middle between truly open and fully closed mitosis-it utilizes a form of semi-open mitosis. Here, the nucleocytoplasmic translocation patterns of the proteins that have been studied during mitosis in the social amoebozoan D. discoideum are detailed followed by a discussion of how some of them provide support for the hypothesis of semi-open mitosis. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Phg1/TM9 proteins control intracellular killing of bacteria by determining cellular levels of the Kil1 sulfotransferase in Dictyostelium.

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Marion Le Coadic

Full Text Available Dictyostelium discoideum has largely been used to study phagocytosis and intracellular killing of bacteria. Previous studies have shown that Phg1A, Kil1 and Kil2 proteins are necessary for efficient intracellular killing of Klebsiella bacteria. Here we show that in phg1a KO cells, cellular levels of lysosomal glycosidases and lysozyme are decreased, and lysosomal pH is increased. Surprisingly, overexpression of Kil1 restores efficient killing in phg1a KO cells without correcting these lysosomal anomalies. Conversely, kil1 KO cells are defective for killing, but their enzymatic content and lysosomal pH are indistinguishable from WT cells. The killing defect of phg1a KO cells can be accounted for by the observation that in these cells the stability and the cellular amount of Kil1 are markedly reduced. Since Kil1 is the only sulfotransferase characterized in Dictyostelium, an (unidentified sulfated factor, defective in both phg1a and kil1 KO cells, may play a key role in intracellular killing of Klebsiella bacteria. In addition, Phg1B plays a redundant role with Phg1A in controlling cellular amounts of Kil1 and intracellular killing. Finally, cellular levels of Kil1 are unaffected in kil2 KO cells, and Kil1 overexpression does not correct the killing defect of kil2 KO cells, suggesting that Kil2 plays a distinct role in intracellular killing.

Transcriptional down-regulation and rRNA cleavage in Dictyostelium discoideum mitochondria during Legionella pneumophila infection.

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Chenyu Zhang

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Bacterial pathogens employ a variety of survival strategies when they invade eukaryotic cells. The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is used as a model host to study the pathogenic mechanisms that Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaire's disease, uses to kill eukaryotic cells. Here we show that the infection of D. discoideum by L. pneumophila results in a decrease in mitochondrial messenger RNAs, beginning more than 8 hours prior to detectable host cell death. These changes can be mimicked by hydrogen peroxide treatment, but not by other cytotoxic agents. The mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA is also cleaved at three specific sites during the course of infection. Two LSU rRNA fragments appear first, followed by smaller fragments produced by additional cleavage events. The initial LSU rRNA cleavage site is predicted to be on the surface of the large subunit of the mitochondrial ribosome, while two secondary sites map to the predicted interface with the small subunit. No LSU rRNA cleavage was observed after exposure of D. discoideum to hydrogen peroxide, or other cytotoxic chemicals that kill cells in a variety of ways. Functional L. pneumophila type II and type IV secretion systems are required for the cleavage, establishing a correlation between the pathogenesis of L. pneumophila and D. discoideum LSU rRNA destruction. LSU rRNA cleavage was not observed in L. pneumophila infections of Acanthamoeba castellanii or human U937 cells, suggesting that L. pneumophila uses distinct mechanisms to interrupt metabolism in different hosts. Thus, L. pneumophila infection of D. discoideum results in dramatic decrease of mitochondrial RNAs, and in the specific cleavage of mitochondrial rRNA. The predicted location of the cleavage sites on the mitochondrial ribosome suggests that rRNA destruction is initiated by a specific sequence of events. These findings suggest that L. pneumophila specifically disrupts mitochondrial

Effect of sodium fluoride on the amount of polyribosomes, single ribosomes and ribosomal subunits in a cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum

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Sameshima, M; Ito, K; Iwabuchi, M

1972-01-01

In the slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum, when the rate of protein synthesis was decreased by NaF, free 80-S ribosomes accumulated at the expense of polyribosomes, while 60-S and 40-S ribosomal subunits remained almost constant. The same level of ribosomal subunits was also maintained in cells after incubation with cycloheximide or at the stationary phase of growth.

Structural and functional studies of a family of Dictyostelium discoideum developmentally regulated, prestalk genes coding for small proteins

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Escalante Ricardo

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum executes a multicellular development program upon starvation. This morphogenetic process requires the differential regulation of a large number of genes and is coordinated by extracellular signals. The MADS-box transcription factor SrfA is required for several stages of development, including slug migration and spore terminal differentiation. Results Subtractive hybridization allowed the isolation of a gene, sigN (SrfA-induced gene N, that was dependent on the transcription factor SrfA for expression at the slug stage of development. Homology searches detected the existence of a large family of sigN-related genes in the Dictyostelium discoideum genome. The 13 most similar genes are grouped in two regions of chromosome 2 and have been named Group1 and Group2 sigN genes. The putative encoded proteins are 87–89 amino acids long. All these genes have a similar structure, composed of a first exon containing a 13 nucleotides long open reading frame and a second exon comprising the remaining of the putative coding region. The expression of these genes is induced at10 hours of development. Analyses of their promoter regions indicate that these genes are expressed in the prestalk region of developing structures. The addition of antibodies raised against SigN Group 2 proteins induced disintegration of multi-cellular structures at the mound stage of development. Conclusion A large family of genes coding for small proteins has been identified in D. discoideum. Two groups of very similar genes from this family have been shown to be specifically expressed in prestalk cells during development. Functional studies using antibodies raised against Group 2 SigN proteins indicate that these genes could play a role during multicellular development.

An Autocrine Proliferation Repressor Regulates Dictyostelium discoideum Proliferation and Chemorepulsion Using the G Protein-Coupled Receptor GrlH

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Yu Tang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In eukaryotic microbes, little is known about signals that inhibit the proliferation of the cells that secrete the signal, and little is known about signals (chemorepellents that cause cells to move away from the source of the signal. Autocrine proliferation repressor protein A (AprA is a protein secreted by the eukaryotic microbe Dictyostelium discoideum. AprA is a chemorepellent for and inhibits the proliferation of D. discoideum. We previously found that cells sense AprA using G proteins, suggesting the existence of a G protein-coupled AprA receptor. To identify the AprA receptor, we screened mutants lacking putative G protein-coupled receptors. We found that, compared to the wild-type strain, cells lacking putative receptor GrlH (grlH{macron} cells show rapid proliferation, do not have large numbers of cells moving away from the edges of colonies, are insensitive to AprA-induced proliferation inhibition and chemorepulsion, and have decreased AprA binding. Expression of GrlH in grlH{macron} cells (grlH{macron}/grlHOE rescues the phenotypes described above. These data indicate that AprA signaling may be mediated by GrlH in D. discoideum.

Down-regulation of Cell Surface Cyclic AMP Receptors and Desensitization of Cyclic AMP-stimulated Adenylate Cyclase by Cyclic AMP in Dictyostelium discoideum. Kinetics and Concentration Dependence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haastert, Peter J.M. van

1987-01-01

cAMP binds to Dictyostelium discoideum surface receptors and induces a transient activation of adenylate cyclase, which is followed by desensitization. cAMP also induces a loss of detectable surface receptors (down-regulation). Cells were incubated with constant cAMP concentrations, washed free of

A retinoblastoma orthologue is required for the sensing of a chalone in Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Bakthavatsalam, Deenadayalan; White, Michael J V; Herlihy, Sarah E; Phillips, Jonathan E; Gomer, Richard H

2014-03-01

Retinoblastoma-like proteins regulate cell differentiation and inhibit cell proliferation. The Dictyostelium discoideum retinoblastoma orthologue RblA affects the differentiation of cells during multicellular development, but it is unclear whether RblA has a significant effect on Dictyostelium cell proliferation, which is inhibited by the secreted proteins AprA and CfaD. We found that rblA⁻ cells in shaking culture proliferate to a higher density, die faster after reaching stationary density, and, after starvation, have a lower spore viability than wild-type cells, possibly because in shaking culture, rblA⁻ cells have both increased cytokinesis and lower extracellular accumulation of CfaD. However, rblA⁻ cells have abnormally slow proliferation on bacterial lawns. Recombinant AprA inhibits the proliferation of wild-type cells but not that of rblA⁻ cells, whereas CfaD inhibits the proliferation of both wild-type cells and rblA⁻ cells. Similar to aprA⁻ cells, rblA⁻ cells have a normal mass and protein accumulation rate on a per-nucleus basis, indicating that RblA affects cell proliferation but not cell growth. AprA also functions as a chemorepellent, and RblA is required for proper AprA chemorepellent activity despite the fact that RblA does not affect cell speed. Together, our data indicate that an autocrine proliferation-inhibiting factor acts through RblA to regulate cell density in Dictyostelium, suggesting that such factors may signal through retinoblastoma-like proteins to control the sizes of structures such as developing organs or tumors.

Curcumin inhibits development and cell adhesion in Dictyostelium discoideum: Implications for YakA signaling and GST enzyme function

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Garige, Mamatha; Walters, Eric, E-mail: ewalters@howard.edu

2015-11-13

The molecular basis for nutraceutical properties of the polyphenol curcumin (Curcuma longa, Turmeric) is complex, affecting multiple factors that regulate cell signaling and homeostasis. Here, we report the effect of curcumin on cellular and developmental mechanisms in the eukaryotic model, Dictyostelium discoideum. Dictyostelium proliferation was inhibited in the presence of curcumin, which also suppressed the prestarvation marker, discoidin I, members of the yakA-mediated developmental signaling pathway, and expression of the extracellular matrix/cell adhesion proteins (DdCAD and csA). This resulted in delayed chemotaxis, adhesion, and development of the organism. In contrast to the inhibitory effects on developmental genes, curcumin induced gstA gene expression, overall GST activity, and generated production of reactive oxygen species. These studies expand our knowledge of developmental and biochemical signaling influenced by curcumin, and lends greater consideration of GST enzyme function in eukaryotic cell signaling, development, and differentiation.

Curcumin inhibits development and cell adhesion in Dictyostelium discoideum: Implications for YakA signaling and GST enzyme function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garige, Mamatha; Walters, Eric

2015-01-01

The molecular basis for nutraceutical properties of the polyphenol curcumin (Curcuma longa, Turmeric) is complex, affecting multiple factors that regulate cell signaling and homeostasis. Here, we report the effect of curcumin on cellular and developmental mechanisms in the eukaryotic model, Dictyostelium discoideum. Dictyostelium proliferation was inhibited in the presence of curcumin, which also suppressed the prestarvation marker, discoidin I, members of the yakA-mediated developmental signaling pathway, and expression of the extracellular matrix/cell adhesion proteins (DdCAD and csA). This resulted in delayed chemotaxis, adhesion, and development of the organism. In contrast to the inhibitory effects on developmental genes, curcumin induced gstA gene expression, overall GST activity, and generated production of reactive oxygen species. These studies expand our knowledge of developmental and biochemical signaling influenced by curcumin, and lends greater consideration of GST enzyme function in eukaryotic cell signaling, development, and differentiation.

Effects of Nickel, Chlorpyrifos and Their Mixture on the Dictyostelium discoideum Proteome

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Boatti, Lara; Robotti, Elisa; Marengo, Emilio; Viarengo, Aldo; Marsano, Francesco

2012-01-01

Mixtures of chemicals can have additive, synergistic or antagonistic interactions. We investigated the effects of the exposure to nickel, the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos at effect concentrations (EC) of 25% and 50% and their binary mixture (Ec25 + EC25) on Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae based on lysosomal membrane stability (LMS). We treated D. discoideum with these compounds under controlled laboratory conditions and evaluated the changes in protein levels using a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) proteomic approach. Nickel treatment at EC25 induced changes in 14 protein spots, 12 of which were down-regulated. Treatment with nickel at EC50 resulted in changes in 15 spots, 10 of which were down-regulated. Treatment with chlorpyrifos at EC25 induced changes in six spots, all of which were down-regulated; treatment with chlorpyrifos at EC50 induced changes in 13 spots, five of which were down-regulated. The mixture corresponding to EC25 of each compound induced changes in 19 spots, 13 of which were down-regulated. The data together reveal that a different protein expression signature exists for each treatment, and that only a few proteins are modulated in multiple different treatments. For a simple binary mixture, the proteomic response does not allow for the identification of each toxicant. The protein spots that showed significant differences were identified by mass spectrometry, which revealed modulations of proteins involved in metal detoxification, stress adaptation, the oxidative stress response and other cellular processes. PMID:23443088

The actinome of Dictyostelium discoideum in comparison to actins and actin-related proteins from other organisms.

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Jayabalan M Joseph

Full Text Available Actin belongs to the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic cells which harbor usually many conventional actin isoforms as well as actin-related proteins (Arps. To get an overview over the sometimes confusing multitude of actins and Arps, we analyzed the Dictyostelium discoideum actinome in detail and compared it with the genomes from other model organisms. The D. discoideum actinome comprises 41 actins and actin-related proteins. The genome contains 17 actin genes which most likely arose from consecutive gene duplications, are all active, in some cases developmentally regulated and coding for identical proteins (Act8-group. According to published data, the actin fraction in a D. discoideum cell consists of more than 95% of these Act8-type proteins. The other 16 actin isoforms contain a conventional actin motif profile as well but differ in their protein sequences. Seven actin genes are potential pseudogenes. A homology search of the human genome using the most typical D. discoideum actin (Act8 as query sequence finds the major actin isoforms such as cytoplasmic beta-actin as best hit. This suggests that the Act8-group represents a nearly perfect actin throughout evolution. Interestingly, limited data from D. fasciculatum, a more ancient member among the social amoebae, show different relationships between conventional actins. The Act8-type isoform is most conserved throughout evolution. Modeling of the putative structures suggests that the majority of the actin-related proteins is functionally unrelated to canonical actin. The data suggest that the other actin variants are not necessary for the cytoskeleton itself but rather regulators of its dynamical features or subunits in larger protein complexes.

Uncovering a Role for the Tail of the Dictyostelium discoideum SadA Protein in Cell-Substrate Adhesion ▿ †

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Kowal, Anthony S.; Chisholm, Rex L.

2011-01-01

Previous work from our laboratory showed that the Dictyostelium discoideum SadA protein plays a central role in cell-substrate adhesion. SadA null cells exhibit a loss of adhesion, a disrupted actin cytoskeleton, and a cytokinesis defect. How SadA mediates these phenotypes is unknown. This work addresses the mechanism of SadA function, demonstrating an important role for the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail in SadA function. We found that a SadA tailless mutant was unable to rescue the sadA adhesi...

Cytochemical study of the nucleolus of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benichou, J.C.; Quiviger, B.; Ryter, A.

1983-01-01

The nucleus of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum is characterized by the presence of several large dense masses which are all in tight contact with the nuclear membrane. These dense masses, considered as nucleoli, present a rather homogeneous texture, in which dense chromatin, fibrillar, and granular material are not easily detected. The autoradiographic study of [ 3 H]uridine pulse-labeled cells showed that the majority of the silver grains were located inside these masses. The use of EDTA regressive-staining, acetylation and enzymatic digestion indicated that they are mostly composed of RNP and are totally devoid of dense chromatin as the rest of the nucleus is. After treatment with actinomycin D, fibrillar and granular material segregated but no chromatin could be found. All these observations confirmed that the dense masses correspond to nucleoli despite their peculiar ultrastructure. It can also be concluded that this type of nucleoli cannot be considered as a taxonomic character of the slime molds because it does not exist in all slime molds and was observed in some dinoflagellates, and ascomycetes

The human homologue of Dictyostelium discoideum phg1A is expressed by human metastatic melanoma cells.

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Lozupone, Francesco; Perdicchio, Maurizio; Brambilla, Daria; Borghi, Martina; Meschini, Stefania; Barca, Stefano; Marino, Maria Lucia; Logozzi, Mariantonia; Federici, Cristina; Iessi, Elisabetta; de Milito, Angelo; Fais, Stefano

2009-12-01

Tumour cannibalism is a characteristic of malignancy and metastatic behaviour. This atypical phagocytic activity is a crucial survival option for tumours in conditions of low nutrient supply, and has some similarities to the phagocytic activity of unicellular microorganisms. In fact, Dictyostelium discoideum has been used widely as a model to study phagocytosis. Recently, phg1A has been described as a protein that is primarily involved in the phagocytic process of this microorganism. The closest human homologue to phg1A is transmembrane 9 superfamily protein member 4 (TM9SF4). Here, we report that TM9SF4 is highly expressed in human malignant melanoma cells deriving from metastatic lesions, whereas it is undetectable in healthy human tissues and cells. TM9SF4 is predominantly expressed in acidic vesicles of melanoma cells, in which it co-localizes with the early endosome antigens Rab5 and early endosome antigen 1. TM9SF4 silencing induced marked inhibition of cannibal activity, which is consistent with a derangement of intracellular pH gradients, with alkalinization of acidic vesicles and acidification of the cell cytosol. We propose TM9SF4 as a new marker of malignancy, representing a potential new target for anti-tumour strategies with a specific role in tumour cannibalism and in the establishment of a metastatic phenotype.

Assets of the non-pathogenic microorganism Dictyostelium discoideum as a model for the study of eukaryotic extracellular vesicles [v1; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/pa

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Irène Tatischeff

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Dictyostelium discoideum microvesicles have recently been presented as a valuable model for eukaryotic extracellular vesicles. Here, the advantages of D. discoideum for unraveling important biological functions of extracellular vesicles in general are detailed. D. discoideum, a non-pathogenic eukaryotic microorganism, belongs to a billion-year-old Amoeboza lineage, which diverged from the animal-fungal lineage after the plant animal-split. During growth and early starvation-induced development, it presents analogies with lymphocytes and macrophages with regard to motility and phagocytosis capability, respectively. Its 6-chromosome genome codes for about 12,500 genes, some showing analogies with human genes. The presence of extracellular vesicles during cell growth has been evidenced as a detoxification mechanism of various structurally unrelated drugs. Controls led to the discovery of constitutive extracellular vesicle secretion in this microorganism, which was an important point. It means that the secretion of extracellular vesicles occurs, in the absence of any drug, during both cell growth and early development. This constitutive secretion of D. discoideum cells is very likely to play a role in intercellular communication. The detoxifying secreted vesicles, which can transport drugs outside the cells, can also act as "Trojan horses", capable of transferring these drugs not only into naïve D. discoideum cells, but into human cells as well. Therefore, these extracellular vesicles were proposed as a new biological drug delivery tool. Moreover, Dictyostelium, chosen by the NIH (USA as a new model organism for biomedical research, has already been used for studying some human diseases. These cells, which are much easier to manipulate than human cells, can be easily designed in simple conditioned medium experiments. Owing to the increasing consensus that extracellular vesicles are probably important mediators of intercellular communication, D. discoideum

Loss of Cln3 Function in the Social Amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum Causes Pleiotropic Effects That Are Rescued by Human CLN3

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Huber, Robert J.

2014-01-01

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL) are a group of inherited, severe neurodegenerative disorders also known as Batten disease. Juvenile NCL (JNCL) is caused by recessive loss-of-function mutations in CLN3, which encodes a transmembrane protein that regulates endocytic pathway trafficking, though its primary function is not yet known. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is increasingly utilized for neurological disease research and is particularly suited for investigation of protein function in trafficking. Therefore, here we establish new overexpression and knockout Dictyostelium cell lines for JNCL research. Dictyostelium Cln3 fused to GFP localized to the contractile vacuole system and to compartments of the endocytic pathway. cln3− cells displayed increased rates of proliferation and an associated reduction in the extracellular levels and cleavage of the autocrine proliferation repressor, AprA. Mid- and late development of cln3− cells was precocious and cln3− slugs displayed increased migration. Expression of either Dictyostelium Cln3 or human CLN3 in cln3− cells suppressed the precocious development and aberrant slug migration, which were also suppressed by calcium chelation. Taken together, our results show that Cln3 is a pleiotropic protein that negatively regulates proliferation and development in Dictyostelium. This new model system, which allows for the study of Cln3 function in both single cells and a multicellular organism, together with the observation that expression of human CLN3 restores abnormalities in Dictyostelium cln3− cells, strongly supports the use of this new model for JNCL research. PMID:25330233

Loss of Cln3 function in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum causes pleiotropic effects that are rescued by human CLN3.

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Robert J Huber

Full Text Available The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL are a group of inherited, severe neurodegenerative disorders also known as Batten disease. Juvenile NCL (JNCL is caused by recessive loss-of-function mutations in CLN3, which encodes a transmembrane protein that regulates endocytic pathway trafficking, though its primary function is not yet known. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is increasingly utilized for neurological disease research and is particularly suited for investigation of protein function in trafficking. Therefore, here we establish new overexpression and knockout Dictyostelium cell lines for JNCL research. Dictyostelium Cln3 fused to GFP localized to the contractile vacuole system and to compartments of the endocytic pathway. cln3- cells displayed increased rates of proliferation and an associated reduction in the extracellular levels and cleavage of the autocrine proliferation repressor, AprA. Mid- and late development of cln3- cells was precocious and cln3- slugs displayed increased migration. Expression of either Dictyostelium Cln3 or human CLN3 in cln3- cells suppressed the precocious development and aberrant slug migration, which were also suppressed by calcium chelation. Taken together, our results show that Cln3 is a pleiotropic protein that negatively regulates proliferation and development in Dictyostelium. This new model system, which allows for the study of Cln3 function in both single cells and a multicellular organism, together with the observation that expression of human CLN3 restores abnormalities in Dictyostelium cln3- cells, strongly supports the use of this new model for JNCL research.

RNA synthesis during germination of UV-irradiated Dictyostelium discoideum spores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okaichi, Kumio

1987-01-01

UV irradiation to the spores of Dictyostelium discoideum NC4 resulted in a more prolonged delay of amoeba-emergence from swollen spores with increasing UV fluence. During the germination, an inhibition of total RNA synthesis and a shift of stage of maximum RNA synthesis to the later period were observed. The maximum poly(A) + RNA synthetic activity was found on an early stage of amoeba-emergence prior about 1 h to the beginning of rRNA synthesis in unirradiated spore germination; but, in UV-irradiated spore germination, the stage of maximum poly(A) + RNA synthesis shifted to the later stage of germination with increasing UV fluence. A decreased synthesis of poly(A) + RNA and a severe inhibition of rRNA synthesis were observed on UV-irradiated and germinated spores, but no significant inhibition of 4 - 5 S RNA synthesis was detected. Actinomycin D suppressed almost completely the rRNA synthesis of emerged amoebae but the drug apparently did not affect the emergence of amoebae at any stage of germination. It was postulated that the delay of amoeba-emergence in UV-irradiated spore must be mainly due to the shift of the stage of maximum synthesis of poly(A) + RNA to the later stage of germination. (author)

Arachidonic acid is a chemoattractant for Dictyostelium discoideum ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

SEARCHU

binding proteins and calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation linked to calmodulin-dependent chemotaxis to folic and cAMP in Dictyostelium; Cell Signal 13 575–584. Gerisch G and Hess B 1974 Cyclic-AMP-controlled oscillations in suspended Dictyostelium cells: Their relation to morphogenetic cell interactions; Proc. Natl.

Regulation of TORC2 complex in Dictyostelium discoideum

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Khanna, Ankita

2016-01-01

Dictyostelium is an amoeba that lives in the soil where it feeds on bacteria. During scarcity of food, Dictyostelium cells undergo a highly regulated developmental process in which the cells aggregate by chemotaxing towards pulsatile emission of extracellular cAMP from a signaling center; the cells

Extracellular calmodulin regulates growth and cAMP-mediated chemotaxis in Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O’Day, Danton H.; Huber, Robert J.; Suarez, Andres

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Extracellular calmodulin is present throughout growth and development in Dictyostelium. ► Extracellular calmodulin localizes within the ECM during development. ► Extracellular calmodulin inhibits cell proliferation and increases chemotaxis. ► Extracellular calmodulin exists in eukaryotic microbes. ► Extracellular calmodulin may be functionally as important as intracellular calmodulin. -- Abstract: The existence of extracellular calmodulin (CaM) has had a long and controversial history. CaM is a ubiquitous calcium-binding protein that has been found in every eukaryotic cell system. Calcium-free apo-CaM and Ca 2+ /CaM exert their effects by binding to and regulating the activity of CaM-binding proteins (CaMBPs). Most of the research done to date on CaM and its CaMBPs has focused on their intracellular functions. The presence of extracellular CaM is well established in a number of plants where it functions in proliferation, cell wall regeneration, gene regulation and germination. While CaM has been detected extracellularly in several animal species, including frog, rat, rabbit and human, its extracellular localization and functions are less well established. In contrast the study of extracellular CaM in eukaryotic microbes remains to be done. Here we show that CaM is constitutively expressed and secreted throughout asexual development in Dictyostelium where the presence of extracellular CaM dose-dependently inhibits cell proliferation but increases cAMP mediated chemotaxis. During development, extracellular CaM localizes within the slime sheath where it coexists with at least one CaMBP, the matricellular CaM-binding protein CyrA. Coupled with previous research, this work provides direct evidence for the existence of extracellular CaM in the Dictyostelium and provides insight into its functions in this model amoebozoan.

Characterization of a 1,4-{beta}-D-glucan synthase from Dictyostelium discoideum. Progress report, May 1990--January 1992

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Blanton, R.L.

1992-01-15

Various aspects of research concerning Dictyostelium discoideum are presented. The initial focus of this project was upon: the characterization of potential probes for the cellulose synthase (antibody and nucleic acid), the determination of the cultural induction conditions of cellulose synthesis, the solubilization of the enzyme activity, the development of a non-inhibitory disruption buffer, the generation and isolation of mutant strains deficient in cellulose synthesis, and the development of the capability to determine the degree of polymerization of the in vitro product. I have briefly summarized our most significant findings with only selected data sets being shown in this report in the interest of brevity.

Clues to γ-secretase, huntingtin and Hirano body normal function using the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum

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Myre Michael A

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Many neurodegenerative disorders, although related by their destruction of brain function, display remarkable cellular and/or regional pathogenic specificity likely due to a deregulated functionality of the mutant protein. However, neurodegenerative disease genes, for example huntingtin (HTT, the ataxins, the presenilins (PSEN1/PSEN2 are not simply localized to neurons but are ubiquitously expressed throughout peripheral tissues; it is therefore paramount to properly understand the earliest precipitating events leading to neuronal pathogenesis to develop effective long-term therapies. This means, in no unequivocal terms, it is crucial to understand the gene's normal function. Unfortunately, many genes are often essential for embryogenesis which precludes their study in whole organisms. This is true for HTT, the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP and presenilins, responsible for early onset Alzheimer's disease (AD. To better understand neurological disease in humans, many lower and higher eukaryotic models have been established. So the question arises: how reasonable is the use of organisms to study neurological disorders when the model of choice does not contain neurons? Here we will review the surprising, and novel emerging use of the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum, a species of soil-living amoeba, as a valuable biomedical tool to study the normal function of neurodegenerative genes. Historically, the evidence on the usefulness of simple organisms to understand the etiology of cellular pathology cannot be denied. But using an organism without a central nervous system to understand diseases of the brain? We will first introduce the life cycle of Dictyostelium, the presence of many disease genes in the genome and how it has provided unique opportunities to identify mechanisms of disease involving actin pathologies, mitochondrial disease, human lysosomal and trafficking disorders and host-pathogen interactions. Secondly, I will

Overexpression of TOR (target of rapamycin) inhibits cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Swer, Pynskhem Bok; Mishra, Himanshu; Lohia, Rakhee; Saran, Shweta

2016-05-01

TOR (target of rapamycin) protein kinase acts as a central controller of cell growth and development of an organism. Present study was undertaken to find the expression pattern and role of TOR during growth and development of Dictyostelium discoideum. Failures to generate either knockout and/or knockdown mutants indicate that interference with its levels led to cellular defects. Thus, the effects of TOR (DDB_G0281569) overexpression specifically, cells expressing Dd(Δ211-TOR)-Eyfp mutant was analyzed. Elevated expression of (Δ211-TOR)-Eyfp reduced both cell size and cell proliferation. DdTOR was found to be closer to fungus. mRNA level of TOR was found maximally in the freshly starved/aggregate cells that gradually declined. This was also strengthened by the expression patterns observed by in situ and the analysis of β-galactosidase reporter driven by the putative TOR promoter. The TOR protein was found to be highest at the aggregate stage. The fusion protein, (Δ211-TOR)-Eyfp was localized to the cell membrane, cytosol, and the nucleus. We suggest, DdTOR to be an essential protein and high TOR expression inhibits cell proliferation. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

1H, 15N and 13C assignments of domain 5 of Dictyostelium discoideum gelation factor (ABP-120) in its native and 8M urea-denatured states.

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Hsu, Shang-Te Danny; Cabrita, Lisa D; Christodoulou, John; Dobson, Christopher M

2009-06-01

The gelation factor from Dictyostelium discoideum (ABP-120) is an actin binding protein consisting of six immunoglobulin (Ig) domains in the C-terminal rod domain. We have recently used the pair of domains 5 and 6 of ABP-120 as a model system for studying multi-domain nascent chain folding on the ribosome. Here we present the NMR assignments of domain 5 in its native and 8M urea-denatured states.

dictyExpress: a Dictyostelium discoideum gene expression database with an explorative data analysis web-based interface

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Rot, Gregor; Parikh, Anup; Curk, Tomaz; Kuspa, Adam; Shaulsky, Gad; Zupan, Blaz

2009-01-01

Background Bioinformatics often leverages on recent advancements in computer science to support biologists in their scientific discovery process. Such efforts include the development of easy-to-use web interfaces to biomedical databases. Recent advancements in interactive web technologies require us to rethink the standard submit-and-wait paradigm, and craft bioinformatics web applications that share analytical and interactive power with their desktop relatives, while retaining simplicity and availability. Results We have developed dictyExpress, a web application that features a graphical, highly interactive explorative interface to our database that consists of more than 1000 Dictyostelium discoideum gene expression experiments. In dictyExpress, the user can select experiments and genes, perform gene clustering, view gene expression profiles across time, view gene co-expression networks, perform analyses of Gene Ontology term enrichment, and simultaneously display expression profiles for a selected gene in various experiments. Most importantly, these tasks are achieved through web applications whose components are seamlessly interlinked and immediately respond to events triggered by the user, thus providing a powerful explorative data analysis environment. Conclusion dictyExpress is a precursor for a new generation of web-based bioinformatics applications with simple but powerful interactive interfaces that resemble that of the modern desktop. While dictyExpress serves mainly the Dictyostelium research community, it is relatively easy to adapt it to other datasets. We propose that the design ideas behind dictyExpress will influence the development of similar applications for other model organisms. PMID:19706156

Quadruplexes in 'Dicty': crystal structure of a four-quartet G-quadruplex formed by G-rich motif found in the Dictyostelium discoideum genome.

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Guédin, Aurore; Lin, Linda Yingqi; Armane, Samir; Lacroix, Laurent; Mergny, Jean-Louis; Thore, Stéphane; Yatsunyk, Liliya A

2018-06-01

Guanine-rich DNA has the potential to fold into non-canonical G-quadruplex (G4) structures. Analysis of the genome of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum indicates a low number of sequences with G4-forming potential (249-1055). Therefore, D. discoideum is a perfect model organism to investigate the relationship between the presence of G4s and their biological functions. As a first step in this investigation, we crystallized the dGGGGGAGGGGTACAGGGGTACAGGGG sequence from the putative promoter region of two divergent genes in D. discoideum. According to the crystal structure, this sequence folds into a four-quartet intramolecular antiparallel G4 with two lateral and one diagonal loops. The G-quadruplex core is further stabilized by a G-C Watson-Crick base pair and a A-T-A triad and displays high thermal stability (Tm > 90°C at 100 mM KCl). Biophysical characterization of the native sequence and loop mutants suggests that the DNA adopts the same structure in solution and in crystalline form, and that loop interactions are important for the G4 stability but not for its folding. Four-tetrad G4 structures are sparse. Thus, our work advances understanding of the structural diversity of G-quadruplexes and yields coordinates for in silico drug screening programs and G4 predictive tools.

Immobilization of Deoxyadenosine Kinase from Dictyostelium discoideum (DddAK) and Its Application in the 5’-Phosphorylation of Arabinosyladenine and Arabinosyl-2-fluoroadenine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Serra, Immacolata; Ubiali, Daniela; Piskur, Jure

2017-01-01

Deoxyadenosine kinase from Dictyostelium discoideum (DddAK) phosphorylates its natural substrate (2’‐deoxyadenosine, dAdo) as well as the arabinosyladenine analogues vidarabine (araA) and fludarabine (F‐araA) to their corresponding 5’‐monophosphates. DddAK has been here immobilized by ionic...... interaction on an aminated epoxy‐functionalized support (SepabeadsTM EC‐EP), and cross‐linked with oxidized dextran. The final activity recovery was 33–42 %, depending on the protein loading. Immobilization enhanced the stability of DddAK at pH 10 and, to a lesser extent, at 45 °C. Phosphorylation of d...

The TOM Complex of Amoebozoans: the Cases of the Amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii and the Slime Mold Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Wojtkowska, Małgorzata; Buczek, Dorota; Stobienia, Olgierd; Karachitos, Andonis; Antoniewicz, Monika; Slocinska, Małgorzata; Makałowski, Wojciech; Kmita, Hanna

2015-07-01

Protein import into mitochondria requires a wide variety of proteins, forming complexes in both mitochondrial membranes. The TOM complex (translocase of the outer membrane) is responsible for decoding of targeting signals, translocation of imported proteins across or into the outer membrane, and their subsequent sorting. Thus the TOM complex is regarded as the main gate into mitochondria for imported proteins. Available data indicate that mitochondria of representative organisms from across the major phylogenetic lineages of eukaryotes differ in subunit organization of the TOM complex. The subunit organization of the TOM complex in the Amoebozoa is still elusive, so we decided to investigate its organization in the soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii and the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. They represent two major subclades of the Amoebozoa: the Lobosa and Conosa, respectively. Our results confirm the presence of Tom70, Tom40 and Tom7 in the A. castellanii and D. discoideum TOM complex, while the presence of Tom22 and Tom20 is less supported. Interestingly, the Tom proteins display the highest similarity to Opisthokonta cognate proteins, with the exception of Tom40. Thus representatives of two major subclades of the Amoebozoa appear to be similar in organization of the TOM complex, despite differences in their lifestyle. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

An Autocrine Proliferation Repressor Regulates Dictyostelium discoideum Proliferation and Chemorepulsion Using the G Protein-Coupled Receptor GrlH.

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Tang, Yu; Wu, Yuantai; Herlihy, Sarah E; Brito-Aleman, Francisco J; Ting, Jose H; Janetopoulos, Chris; Gomer, Richard H

2018-02-13

In eukaryotic microbes, little is known about signals that inhibit the proliferation of the cells that secrete the signal, and little is known about signals (chemorepellents) that cause cells to move away from the source of the signal. Autocrine proliferation repressor protein A (AprA) is a protein secreted by the eukaryotic microbe Dictyostelium discoideum AprA is a chemorepellent for and inhibits the proliferation of D. discoideum We previously found that cells sense AprA using G proteins, suggesting the existence of a G protein-coupled AprA receptor. To identify the AprA receptor, we screened mutants lacking putative G protein-coupled receptors. We found that, compared to the wild-type strain, cells lacking putative receptor GrlH ( grlH¯ cells) show rapid proliferation, do not have large numbers of cells moving away from the edges of colonies, are insensitive to AprA-induced proliferation inhibition and chemorepulsion, and have decreased AprA binding. Expression of GrlH in grlH¯ cells ( grlH¯/grlH OE ) rescues the phenotypes described above. These data indicate that AprA signaling may be mediated by GrlH in D. discoideum IMPORTANCE Little is known about how eukaryotic cells can count themselves and thus regulate the size of a tissue or density of cells. In addition, little is known about how eukaryotic cells can sense a repellant signal and move away from the source of the repellant, for instance, to organize the movement of cells in a developing embryo or to move immune cells out of a tissue. In this study, we found that a eukaryotic microbe uses G protein-coupled receptors to mediate both cell density sensing and chemorepulsion. Copyright © 2018 Tang et al.

Inhibitors of Mycobacterium marinum virulence identified in a Dictyostelium discoideum host model.

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Hajer Ouertatani-Sakouhi

Full Text Available Tuberculosis remains one of the major threats to public health worldwide. Given the prevalence of multi drug resistance (MDR in Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, there is a strong need to develop new anti-mycobacterial drugs with modes of action distinct from classical antibiotics. Inhibitors of mycobacterial virulence might target new molecular processes and may represent a potential new therapeutic alternative. In this study, we used a Dictyostelium discoideum host model to assess virulence of Mycobacterium marinum and to identify compounds inhibiting mycobacterial virulence. Among 9995 chemical compounds, we selected 12 inhibitors of mycobacterial virulence that do not inhibit mycobacterial growth in synthetic medium. Further analyses revealed that 8 of them perturbed functions requiring an intact mycobacterial cell wall such as sliding motility, bacterial aggregation or cell wall permeability. Chemical analogs of two compounds were analyzed. Chemical modifications altered concomitantly their effect on sliding motility and on mycobacterial virulence, suggesting that the alteration of the mycobacterial cell wall caused the loss of virulence. We characterized further one of the selected compounds and found that it inhibited the ability of mycobacteria to replicate in infected cells. Together these results identify new antimycobacterial compounds that represent new tools to unravel the molecular mechanisms controlling mycobacterial pathogenicity. The isolation of compounds with anti-virulence activity is the first step towards developing new antibacterial treatments.

Fluorographic detection of tritiated glycopeptides and oligosaccharides separated on polyacrylamide gels: analysis of glycans from Dictyostelium discoideum glycoproteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prem Das, O.; Henderson, E.J.

1986-01-01

Previous workers have shown that oligosaccharides and glycopeptides can be separated by electrophoresis in buffers containing borate ions. However, normal fluorography of tritium-labeled structures cannot be performed because the glycans are soluble and can diffuse during equilibration with scintillants. This problem has been circumvented by equilibration of the gel with 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) prior to electrophoresis. The presence of PPO in the gel during electrophoresis does not alter mobility of the glycopeptides and oligosaccharides. After electrophoresis, the gel is simply dried and fluorography performed. This allows sensitive and precise comparisons of labeled samples in parallel lanes of a slab gel and, since mobilities are highly reproducible, between different gels. The procedure is preparative in that after fluorography the gel bands can be quantitatively eluted for further study, without any apparent modification by the procedure. In this report, the procedure is illustrated by fractionation of both neutral and anionic glycopeptides produced by the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum

Role of phospholipase C in Dictyostelium : Formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and normal development in cells lacking phospholipase C activity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drayer, A. Lyndsay; Kaay, Jeroen van der; Mayr, Georg W.; Haastert, Peter J.M. van

1994-01-01

The micro-organism Dictyostelium uses extracellular cAMP to induce chemotaxis and cell differentiation. Signals are transduced via surface receptors, which activate G proteins, to effector enzymes. The deduced protein sequence of Dictyostelium discoideum phosphabidylinositol-specific phospholipase C

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the NmrA-like DDB-G0286605 protein from the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Min-Kyu; Yim, Hyung-Soon; Kang, Sa-Ouk

2010-01-01

In order to investigate its structure and function, the NmrA-like domain-containing DDB-G0286605 protein from D. discoideum was expressed, purified and crystallized. X-ray diffraction analysis is reported to a resolution of 1.64 Å. The DDB-G0286605 gene product from Dictyostelium discoideum, an NmrA-like protein that belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family, has been crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method at 295 K. A 1.64 Å resolution data set was collected using synchrotron radiation. The DDB-G0286605 protein crystals belonged to space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 67.598, b = 54.935, c = 84.219 Å, β = 109.620°. Assuming the presence of two molecules in the asymmetric unit, the solvent content was estimated to be about 43.25% with 99% probability. Molecular-replacement trials were attempted with three NmrA-like proteins, NmrA, HSCARG and QOR2, as search models, but failed. This may be a consequence of the low sequence identity between the DDB-G0286605 protein and the search models (DDB-G0286605 has a primary-sequence identity of 28, 32 and 19% to NmrA, HCARG and QOR2, respectively)

MicroRNAs in Amoebozoa: deep sequencing of the small RNA population in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum reveals developmentally regulated microRNAs.

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Avesson, Lotta; Reimegård, Johan; Wagner, E Gerhart H; Söderbom, Fredrik

2012-10-01

The RNA interference machinery has served as a guardian of eukaryotic genomes since the divergence from prokaryotes. Although the basic components have a shared origin, silencing pathways directed by small RNAs have evolved in diverse directions in different eukaryotic lineages. Micro (mi)RNAs regulate protein-coding genes and play vital roles in plants and animals, but less is known about their functions in other organisms. Here, we report, for the first time, deep sequencing of small RNAs from the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. RNA from growing single-cell amoebae as well as from two multicellular developmental stages was sequenced. Computational analyses combined with experimental data reveal the expression of miRNAs, several of them exhibiting distinct expression patterns during development. To our knowledge, this is the first report of miRNAs in the Amoebozoa supergroup. We also show that overexpressed miRNA precursors generate miRNAs and, in most cases, miRNA* sequences, whose biogenesis is dependent on the Dicer-like protein DrnB, further supporting the presence of miRNAs in D. discoideum. In addition, we find miRNAs processed from hairpin structures originating from an intron as well as from a class of repetitive elements. We believe that these repetitive elements are sources for newly evolved miRNAs.

The p21-activated kinase (PAK family member PakD is required for chemorepulsion and proliferation inhibition by autocrine signals in Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Jonathan E Phillips

Full Text Available In Dictyostelium discoideum, the secreted proteins AprA and CfaD function as reporters of cell density and regulate cell number by inhibiting proliferation at high cell densities. AprA also functions to disperse groups of cells at high density by acting as a chemorepellent. However, the signal transduction pathways associated with AprA and CfaD are not clear, and little is known about how AprA affects the cytoskeleton to regulate cell movement. We found that the p21-activated kinase (PAK family member PakD is required for both the proliferation-inhibiting activity of AprA and CfaD and the chemorepellent activity of AprA. Similar to cells lacking AprA or CfaD, cells lacking PakD proliferate to a higher cell density than wild-type cells. Recombinant AprA and CfaD inhibit the proliferation of wild-type cells but not cells lacking PakD. Like AprA and CfaD, PakD affects proliferation but does not significantly affect growth (the accumulation of mass on a per-nucleus basis. In contrast to wild-type cells, cells lacking PakD are not repelled from a source of AprA, and colonies of cells lacking PakD expand at a slower rate than wild-type cells, indicating that PakD is required for AprA-mediated chemorepulsion. A PakD-GFP fusion protein localizes to an intracellular punctum that is not the nucleus or centrosome, and PakD-GFP is also occasionally observed at the rear cortex of moving cells. Vegetative cells lacking PakD show excessive actin-based filopodia-like structures, suggesting that PakD affects actin dynamics, consistent with previously characterized roles of PAK proteins in actin regulation. Together, our results implicate PakD in AprA/CfaD signaling and show that a PAK protein is required for proper chemorepulsive cell movement in Dictyostelium.

The p21-activated kinase (PAK) family member PakD is required for chemorepulsion and proliferation inhibition by autocrine signals in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Jonathan E; Gomer, Richard H

2014-01-01

In Dictyostelium discoideum, the secreted proteins AprA and CfaD function as reporters of cell density and regulate cell number by inhibiting proliferation at high cell densities. AprA also functions to disperse groups of cells at high density by acting as a chemorepellent. However, the signal transduction pathways associated with AprA and CfaD are not clear, and little is known about how AprA affects the cytoskeleton to regulate cell movement. We found that the p21-activated kinase (PAK) family member PakD is required for both the proliferation-inhibiting activity of AprA and CfaD and the chemorepellent activity of AprA. Similar to cells lacking AprA or CfaD, cells lacking PakD proliferate to a higher cell density than wild-type cells. Recombinant AprA and CfaD inhibit the proliferation of wild-type cells but not cells lacking PakD. Like AprA and CfaD, PakD affects proliferation but does not significantly affect growth (the accumulation of mass) on a per-nucleus basis. In contrast to wild-type cells, cells lacking PakD are not repelled from a source of AprA, and colonies of cells lacking PakD expand at a slower rate than wild-type cells, indicating that PakD is required for AprA-mediated chemorepulsion. A PakD-GFP fusion protein localizes to an intracellular punctum that is not the nucleus or centrosome, and PakD-GFP is also occasionally observed at the rear cortex of moving cells. Vegetative cells lacking PakD show excessive actin-based filopodia-like structures, suggesting that PakD affects actin dynamics, consistent with previously characterized roles of PAK proteins in actin regulation. Together, our results implicate PakD in AprA/CfaD signaling and show that a PAK protein is required for proper chemorepulsive cell movement in Dictyostelium.

Dictyostelium discoideum: mutants in the biosynthesis of the lipid-linked precursor of N-linked oligosaccharides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freeze, H.; Willies, L.; Hamilton, S.

1986-01-01

The lysosomal enzymes of Dictyostelium discoideum share highly immunogenic oligosaccharides which contain multiple Man-6-SO 4 residues. Two mutant strains which lack the shared antigenic determinant were analyzed in an attempt to identify the primary defect in each. [ 3 H]Man labelled N-linked oligosaccharides of secreted glycoproteins were released by Endo/PNGaseF digestion and analyzed. Both of the mutant strains produced smaller, less sulfated oligosaccharides compared to the wild-type, yet both still contained considerable amounts of Man-6-SO 4 . The size of the precursor lipid-linked oligosaccharide from the wild-type is consistent with a Glc 3 Man 9 GlcNAc 2 structure, while those from both of the mutants have an oligosaccharide the size of Man 5 GlcNAc 2 . The authors conclude that both of the mutants are defective in the biosynthesis of the precursor oligosaccharide. Both oligosaccharides from the mutants contain a tri-mannosyl core and are not glucosylated. Two of the five Man residues are released by a 1,2 specific α mannosidase. Based on the size and mannosidase digestions the authors conclude that 4/5 of the Man residues on the α1,6 branch of the β-linked Man residues are missing. Thus, these residues must be required to define the shared antigenic determinant

Cooperation induces other cooperation: Fruiting bodies promote the evolution of macrocysts in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Shibasaki, Shota; Shirokawa, Yuka; Shimada, Masakazu

2017-05-21

Biological studies of the evolution of cooperation are challenging because this process is vulnerable to cheating. Many mechanisms, including kin discrimination, spatial structure, or by-products of self-interested behaviors, can explain this evolution. Here we propose that the evolution of cooperation can be induced by other cooperation. To test this idea, we used a model organism Dictyostelium discoideum because it exhibits two cooperative dormant phases, the fruiting body and the macrocyst. In both phases, the same chemoattractant, cyclic AMP (cAMP), is used to collect cells. This common feature led us to hypothesize that the evolution of macrocyst formation would be induced by coexistence with fruiting bodies. Before forming a mathematical model, we confirmed that macrocysts coexisted with fruiting bodies, at least under laboratory conditions. Next, we analyzed our evolutionary game theory-based model to investigate whether coexistence with fruiting bodies would stabilize macrocyst formation. The model suggests that macrocyst formation represents an evolutionarily stable strategy and a global invader strategy under this coexistence, but is unstable if the model ignores the fruiting body formation. This result indicates that the evolution of macrocyst formation and maintenance is attributable to coexistence with fruiting bodies. Therefore, macrocyst evolution can be considered as an example of evolution of cooperation induced by other cooperation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Partial genetic suppression of a loss-of-function mutant of the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis-associated protease TPP1 in Dictyostelium discoideum

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Jonathan E. Phillips

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL is the most common childhood-onset neurodegenerative disease. NCL is inevitably fatal, and there is currently no treatment available. Children with NCL show a progressive decline in movement, vision and mental abilities, and an accumulation of autofluorescent deposits in neurons and other cell types. Late-infantile NCL is caused by mutations in the lysosomal protease tripeptidyl peptidase 1 (TPP1. TPP1 cleaves tripeptides from the N-terminus of proteins in vitro, but little is known about the physiological function of TPP1. TPP1 shows wide conservation in vertebrates but it is not found in Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans or Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we characterize ddTpp1, a TPP1 ortholog present in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Lysates from cells lacking ddTpp1 show a reduced but not abolished ability to cleave a TPP1 substrate, suggesting that other Dictyostelium enzymes can perform this cleavage. ddTpp1 and human TPP1 localize to the lysosome in Dictyostelium, indicating conserved function and trafficking. Cells that lack ddTpp1 show precocious multicellular development and a reduced ability to form spores during development. When cultured in autophagy-stimulating conditions, cells lacking ddTpp1 rapidly decrease in size and are less viable than wild-type cells, suggesting that one function of ddTpp1 could be to limit autophagy. Cells that lack ddTpp1 exhibit strongly impaired development in the presence of the lysosome-perturbing drug chloroquine, and this phenotype can be suppressed through a secondary mutation in the gene that we name suppressor of tpp1− A (stpA, which encodes a protein with some similarity to mammalian oxysterol-binding proteins (OSBPs. Taken together, these results suggest that targeting specific proteins could be a viable way to suppress the effects of loss of TPP1 function.

Naringenin is a novel inhibitor of Dictyostelium cell proliferation and cell migration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russ, Misty; Martinez, Raquel; Ali, Hind; Steimle, Paul A.

2006-01-01

Naringenin is a flavanone compound that alters critical cellular processes such as cell multiplication, glucose uptake, and mitochondrial activity. In this study, we used the social amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum, as a model system for examining the cellular processes and signaling pathways affected by naringenin. We found that naringenin inhibited Dictyostelium cell division in a dose-dependent manner (IC 5 ∼ 20 μM). Assays of Dictyostelium chemotaxis and multicellular development revealed that naringenin possesses a previously unrecognized ability to suppress amoeboid cell motility. We also found that naringenin, which is known to inhibit phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity, had no apparent effect on phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate synthesis in live Dictyostelium cells; suggesting that this compound suppresses cell growth and migration via alternative signaling pathways. In another context, the discoveries described here highlight the value of using the Dictyostelium model system for identifying and characterizing the mechanisms by which naringenin, and related compounds, exert their effects on eukaryotic cells

Acanthamoeba and Dictyostelium as Cellular Models for Legionella Infection

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Swart, A. Leoni; Harrison, Christopher F.; Eichinger, Ludwig; Steinert, Michael; Hilbi, Hubert

2018-01-01

Environmental bacteria of the genus Legionella naturally parasitize free-living amoebae. Upon inhalation of bacteria-laden aerosols, the opportunistic pathogens grow intracellularly in alveolar macrophages and can cause a life-threatening pneumonia termed Legionnaires' disease. Intracellular replication in amoebae and macrophages takes place in a unique membrane-bound compartment, the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV). LCV formation requires the bacterial Icm/Dot type IV secretion system, which translocates literally hundreds of “effector” proteins into host cells, where they modulate crucial cellular processes for the pathogen's benefit. The mechanism of LCV formation appears to be evolutionarily conserved, and therefore, amoebae are not only ecologically significant niches for Legionella spp., but also useful cellular models for eukaryotic phagocytes. In particular, Acanthamoeba castellanii and Dictyostelium discoideum emerged over the last years as versatile and powerful models. Using genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches, molecular interactions between amoebae and Legionella pneumophila have recently been investigated in detail with a focus on the role of phosphoinositide lipids, small and large GTPases, autophagy components and the retromer complex, as well as on bacterial effectors targeting these host factors. PMID:29552544

Acanthamoeba and Dictyostelium as Cellular Models for Legionella Infection

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A. Leoni Swart

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Environmental bacteria of the genus Legionella naturally parasitize free-living amoebae. Upon inhalation of bacteria-laden aerosols, the opportunistic pathogens grow intracellularly in alveolar macrophages and can cause a life-threatening pneumonia termed Legionnaires' disease. Intracellular replication in amoebae and macrophages takes place in a unique membrane-bound compartment, the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV. LCV formation requires the bacterial Icm/Dot type IV secretion system, which translocates literally hundreds of “effector” proteins into host cells, where they modulate crucial cellular processes for the pathogen's benefit. The mechanism of LCV formation appears to be evolutionarily conserved, and therefore, amoebae are not only ecologically significant niches for Legionella spp., but also useful cellular models for eukaryotic phagocytes. In particular, Acanthamoeba castellanii and Dictyostelium discoideum emerged over the last years as versatile and powerful models. Using genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches, molecular interactions between amoebae and Legionella pneumophila have recently been investigated in detail with a focus on the role of phosphoinositide lipids, small and large GTPases, autophagy components and the retromer complex, as well as on bacterial effectors targeting these host factors.

Uncovering a role for the tail of the Dictyostelium discoideum SadA protein in cell-substrate adhesion.

Science.gov (United States)

Kowal, Anthony S; Chisholm, Rex L

2011-05-01

Previous work from our laboratory showed that the Dictyostelium discoideum SadA protein plays a central role in cell-substrate adhesion. SadA null cells exhibit a loss of adhesion, a disrupted actin cytoskeleton, and a cytokinesis defect. How SadA mediates these phenotypes is unknown. This work addresses the mechanism of SadA function, demonstrating an important role for the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail in SadA function. We found that a SadA tailless mutant was unable to rescue the sadA adhesion deficiency, and overexpression of the SadA tail domain reduced adhesion in wild-type cells. We also show that SadA is closely associated with the actin cytoskeleton. Mutagenesis studies suggested that four serine residues in the tail, S924/S925 and S940/S941, may regulate association of SadA with the actin cytoskeleton. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays identified at least one likely interaction partner of the SadA tail, cortexillin I, a known actin bundling protein. Thus, our data demonstrate an important role for the carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic tail in SadA function and strongly suggest that a phosphorylation event in this tail regulates an interaction with cortexillin I. Based on our data, we propose a model for the function of SadA.

The rate and effects of spontaneous mutation on fitness traits in the social amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Hall, David W; Fox, Sara; Kuzdzal-Fick, Jennie J; Strassmann, Joan E; Queller, David C

2013-07-08

We performed a mutation accumulation (MA) experiment in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum to estimate the rate and distribution of effects of spontaneous mutations affecting eight putative fitness traits. We found that the per-generation mutation rate for most fitness components is 0.0019 mutations per haploid genome per generation or larger. This rate is an order of magnitude higher than estimates for fitness components in the unicellular eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, even though the base-pair substitution rate is two orders of magnitude lower. The high rate of fitness-altering mutations observed in this species may be partially explained by a large mutational target relative to S. cerevisiae. Fitness-altering mutations also may occur primarily at simple sequence repeats, which are common throughout the genome, including in coding regions, and may represent a target that is particularly likely to give fitness effects upon mutation. The majority of mutations had deleterious effects on fitness, but there was evidence for a substantial fraction, up to 40%, being beneficial for some of the putative fitness traits. Competitive ability within the multicellular slug appears to be under weak directional selection, perhaps reflecting the fact that slugs are sometimes, but not often, comprised of multiple clones in nature. Evidence for pleiotropy among fitness components across MA lines was absent, suggesting that mutations tend to act on single fitness components.

Systematic Analysis of γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Metabolism and Function in the Social Amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum*

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Wu, Yuantai; Janetopoulos, Chris

2013-01-01

While GABA has been suggested to regulate spore encapsulation in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, the metabolic profile and other potential functions of GABA during development remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the homeostasis of GABA metabolism by disrupting genes related to GABA metabolism and signaling. Extracellular levels of GABA are tightly regulated during early development, and GABA is generated by the glutamate decarboxylase, GadB, during growth and in early development. However, overexpression of the prespore-specific homologue, GadA, in the presence of GadB reduces production of extracellular GABA. Perturbation of extracellular GABA levels delays the process of aggregation. Cytosolic GABA is degraded by the GABA transaminase, GabT, in the mitochondria. Disruption of a putative vesicular GABA transporter (vGAT) homologue DdvGAT reduces secreted GABA. We identified the GABAB receptor-like family member GrlB as the major GABA receptor during early development, and either disruption or overexpression of GrlB delays aggregation. This delay is likely the result of an abolished pre-starvation response and late expression of several “early” developmental genes. Distinct genes are employed for GABA generation during sporulation. During sporulation, GadA alone is required for generating GABA and DdvGAT is likely responsible for GABA secretion. GrlE but not GrlB is the GABA receptor during late development. PMID:23548898

Cytoplasmic pH and the regulation of the dictyostelium cell cycle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aerts, R.J.; Durston, A.J.; Moolenaar, W.H.

1985-01-01

Cytoplasmic pH (pHl) was monitored during the cell cycle of synchronous populations of Dictyostelium discoideum by means of a pH “null point” method. There is a cycle of pHl that closely corresponds to the DNA replication cycle, with a minimum of pH 7.20 in interphase and a peak of pH 7.45 during S

Functional similarities between the dictyostelium protein AprA and the human protein dipeptidyl-peptidase IV.

Science.gov (United States)

Herlihy, Sarah E; Tang, Yu; Phillips, Jonathan E; Gomer, Richard H

2017-03-01

Autocrine proliferation repressor protein A (AprA) is a protein secreted by Dictyostelium discoideum cells. Although there is very little sequence similarity between AprA and any human protein, AprA has a predicted structural similarity to the human protein dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV). AprA is a chemorepellent for Dictyostelium cells, and DPPIV is a chemorepellent for neutrophils. This led us to investigate if AprA and DPPIV have additional functional similarities. We find that like AprA, DPPIV is a chemorepellent for, and inhibits the proliferation of, D. discoideum cells, and that AprA binds some DPPIV binding partners such as fibronectin. Conversely, rAprA has DPPIV-like protease activity. These results indicate a functional similarity between two eukaryotic chemorepellent proteins with very little sequence similarity, and emphasize the usefulness of using a predicted protein structure to search a protein structure database, in addition to searching for proteins with similar sequences. © 2016 The Protein Society.

Functional similarities between the dictyostelium protein AprA and the human protein dipeptidyl‐peptidase IV

Science.gov (United States)

Herlihy, Sarah E.; Tang, Yu; Phillips, Jonathan E.

2017-01-01

Abstract Autocrine proliferation repressor protein A (AprA) is a protein secreted by Dictyostelium discoideum cells. Although there is very little sequence similarity between AprA and any human protein, AprA has a predicted structural similarity to the human protein dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV). AprA is a chemorepellent for Dictyostelium cells, and DPPIV is a chemorepellent for neutrophils. This led us to investigate if AprA and DPPIV have additional functional similarities. We find that like AprA, DPPIV is a chemorepellent for, and inhibits the proliferation of, D. discoideum cells, and that AprA binds some DPPIV binding partners such as fibronectin. Conversely, rAprA has DPPIV‐like protease activity. These results indicate a functional similarity between two eukaryotic chemorepellent proteins with very little sequence similarity, and emphasize the usefulness of using a predicted protein structure to search a protein structure database, in addition to searching for proteins with similar sequences. PMID:28028841

Determination of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate levels in Dictyostelium by isotope dilution assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Haastert, P.J.

1989-01-01

A commercial isotope dilution assay was used for the determination of Ins(1,4,5)P3 levels in the microorganism Dictyostelium discoideum. Cross-reactivity in the assay was detected with extracts from cells and the medium. The compound which induced this cross-reactivity was tentatively identified as Ins(1,4,5)P3 by (i) codegradation with authentic [ 32 P]Ins(1,4,5)P3 by three specific Ins(1,4,5)P3 phosphatases, and (ii) co-chromatography with authentic [ 32 P]Ins(1,4,5)P3 on HPLC columns. The cellular concentration was estimated as 165 +/- 42 pmol/10(8) cells, yielding a mean intracellular Ins(1,4,5)P3 concentration of 3.3 microM. Dictyostelium cells secrete large amounts of Ins(1,4,5)P3 at a rate of about 10% of the cellular content per minute, yielding about 0.13 microM extracellular Ins(1,4,5)P3 after 15 min in a suspension of 10(8) cells/ml. The chemoattractant cAMP induced a transient increase of the Ins(1,4,5)P3 concentration; the data suggest an intracacellular rise from 3.3 to 5.5 microM with a maximum at 6 s after stimulation

The Parkinson's disease-associated protein DJ-1 plays a positive nonmitochondrial role in endocytosis in Dictyostelium cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suwei Chen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The loss of function of DJ-1 caused by mutations in DJ1 causes a form of familial Parkinson's disease (PD. However, the role of DJ-1 in healthy and in PD cells is poorly understood. Even its subcellular localization in mammalian cells is uncertain, with both cytosolic and mitochondrial locations having been reported. We show here that DJ-1 is normally located in the cytoplasm in healthy Dictyostelium discoideum cells. With its unique life cycle, straightforward genotype-phenotype relationships, experimental accessibility and genetic tractability, D. discoideum offers an attractive model to investigate the roles of PD-associated genes. Furthermore, the study of mitochondrial biology, mitochondrial genome transcription and AMP-activated protein kinase-mediated cytopathologies in mitochondrial dysfunction have been well developed in this organism. Unlike mammalian systems, Dictyostelium mitochondrial dysfunction causes a reproducible and readily assayed array of aberrant phenotypes: defective phototaxis, impaired growth, normal rates of endocytosis and characteristic defects in multicellular morphogenesis. This makes it possible to study whether the underlying cytopathological mechanisms of familial PD involve mitochondrial dysfunction. DJ-1 has a single homologue in the Dictyostelium genome. By regulating the expression level of DJ-1 in D. discoideum, we show here that in unstressed cells, DJ-1 is required for normal rates of endocytic nutrient uptake (phagocytosis and, to a lesser extent, pinocytosis and thus growth. Reduced expression of DJ-1 had no effect on phototaxis in the multicellular migratory ‘slug’ stage of the life cycle, but resulted in thickened stalks in the final fruiting bodies. This pattern of phenotypes is distinct from that observed in Dictyostelium to result from mitochondrial dyfunction. Direct measurement of mitochondrial respiratory function in intact cells revealed that DJ-1 knockdown stimulates whereas DJ-1

Control of cyclin C levels during development of Dictyostelium.

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David M Greene

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Cdk8 and its partner cyclin C form part of the mediator complex which links the basal transcription machinery to regulatory proteins. The pair are required for correct regulation of a subset of genes and have been implicated in control of development in a number of organisms including the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. When feeding, Dictyostelium amoebae are unicellular but upon starvation they aggregate to form a multicellular structure which develops into a fruiting body containing spores. Cells in which the gene encoding Cdk8 has been deleted fail to enter aggregates due to a failure of early gene expression.We have monitored the expression levels of cyclin C protein during development and find levels decrease after the multicellular mound is formed. This decrease is triggered by extracellular cAMP that, in turn, is working in part through an increase in intracellular cAMP. The loss of cyclin C is coincident with a reduction in the association of Cdk8 with a high molecular weight complex in the nucleus. Overexpression of cyclin C and Cdk8 lead to an increased rate of early development, consistent with the levels being rate limiting.Overall these results show that both cyclin C and Cdk8 are regulated during development in response to extracellular signals and the levels of these proteins are important in controlling the timing of developmental processes. These findings have important implications for the role of these proteins in controlling development, suggesting that they are targets for developmental signals to regulate gene expression.

Regulation of Spatiotemporal Patterns by Biological Variability: General Principles and Applications to Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Miriam Grace

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Spatiotemporal patterns often emerge from local interactions in a self-organizing fashion. In biology, the resulting patterns are also subject to the influence of the systematic differences between the system's constituents (biological variability. This regulation of spatiotemporal patterns by biological variability is the topic of our review. We discuss several examples of correlations between cell properties and the self-organized spatiotemporal patterns, together with their relevance for biology. Our guiding, illustrative example will be spiral waves of cAMP in a colony of Dictyostelium discoideum cells. Analogous processes take place in diverse situations (such as cardiac tissue, where spiral waves occur in potentially fatal ventricular fibrillation so a deeper understanding of this additional layer of self-organized pattern formation would be beneficial to a wide range of applications. One of the most striking differences between pattern-forming systems in physics or chemistry and those in biology is the potential importance of variability. In the former, system components are essentially identical with random fluctuations determining the details of the self-organization process and the resulting patterns. In biology, due to variability, the properties of potentially very few cells can have a driving influence on the resulting asymptotic collective state of the colony. Variability is one means of implementing a few-element control on the collective mode. Regulatory architectures, parameters of signaling cascades, and properties of structure formation processes can be "reverse-engineered" from observed spatiotemporal patterns, as different types of regulation and forms of interactions between the constituents can lead to markedly different correlations. The power of this biology-inspired view of pattern formation lies in building a bridge between two scales: the patterns as a collective state of a very large number of cells on the one hand

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U13443-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available lignments: (bits) Value N ( AF305060 ) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome... 529 0.0 10 ( BJ3... AF305060 ) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene...icant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott...0_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, complete cds

The ROCO kinase QkgA is necessary for proliferation inhibition by autocrine signals in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Jonathan E; Gomer, Richard H

2010-10-01

AprA and CfaD are secreted proteins that function as autocrine signals to inhibit cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum. Cells lacking AprA or CfaD proliferate rapidly, and adding AprA or CfaD to cells slows proliferation. Cells lacking the ROCO kinase QkgA proliferate rapidly, with a doubling time 83% of that of the wild type, and overexpression of a QkgA-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein slows cell proliferation. We found that qkgA(-) cells accumulate normal levels of extracellular AprA and CfaD. Exogenous AprA or CfaD does not slow the proliferation of cells lacking qkgA, and expression of QkgA-GFP in qkgA(-) cells rescues this insensitivity. Like cells lacking AprA or CfaD, cells lacking QkgA tend to be multinucleate, accumulate nuclei rapidly, and show a mass and protein accumulation per nucleus like those of the wild type, suggesting that QkgA negatively regulates proliferation but not growth. Despite their rapid proliferation, cells lacking AprA, CfaD, or QkgA expand as a colony on bacteria less rapidly than the wild type. Unlike AprA and CfaD, QkgA does not affect spore viability following multicellular development. Together, these results indicate that QkgA is necessary for proliferation inhibition by AprA and CfaD, that QkgA mediates some but not all of the effects of AprA and CfaD, and that QkgA may function downstream of these proteins in a signal transduction pathway regulating proliferation.

Dicty_cDB: AFM869 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLH341. 404 e-128 3 ( AF305060 ) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-...ucing significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-DDIS-02-0043 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-DDIS-02-0043 gb|AAL92369.2| similar to Homo sapiens (Human). Testis intercellular mediator... Peas (Sortilin 1) (Hypothetical protein) (Testis intracellular mediator protein) [Dictyostelium discoideum] AAL92369.2 1e-178 98% ...

eIF2α Kinases Control Chalone Production in Dictyostelium discoideum ▿

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Robert L.; Xiong, Yanhua; Kirsten, Janet H.; Singleton, Charles K.

2011-01-01

Growing Dictyostelium cells secrete CfaD and AprA, two proteins that have been characterized as chalones. They exist within a high-molecular-weight complex that reversibly inhibits cell proliferation, but not growth, via cell surface receptors and a signaling pathway that includes G proteins. How the production of these two proteins is regulated is unknown. Dictyostelium cells possess three GCN2-type eukaryotic initiation factor 2 α subunit (eIF2α) kinases, proteins that phosphorylate the translational initiation factor eIF2α and possess a tRNA binding domain involved in their regulation. The Dictyostelium kinases have been shown to function during development in regulating several processes. We show here that expression of an unregulated, activated kinase domain greatly inhibits cell proliferation. The inhibitory effect on proliferation is not due to a general inhibition of translation. Instead, it is due to enhanced production of a secreted factor(s). Indeed, extracellular CfaD and AprA proteins, but not their mRNAs, are overproduced in cells expressing the activated kinase domain. The inhibition of proliferation is not seen when the activated kinase domain is expressed in cells lacking CfaD or AprA or in cells that contain a nonphosphorylatable eIF2α. We conclude that production of the chalones CfaD and AprA is translationally regulated by eIF2α phosphorylation. Both proteins are upregulated at the culmination of development, and this enhanced production is lacking in a strain that possesses a nonphosphorylatable eIF2α. PMID:21278229

Uncovering a Role for the Tail of the Dictyostelium discoideum SadA Protein in Cell-Substrate Adhesion ▿ †

Science.gov (United States)

Kowal, Anthony S.; Chisholm, Rex L.

2011-01-01

Previous work from our laboratory showed that the Dictyostelium discoideum SadA protein plays a central role in cell-substrate adhesion. SadA null cells exhibit a loss of adhesion, a disrupted actin cytoskeleton, and a cytokinesis defect. How SadA mediates these phenotypes is unknown. This work addresses the mechanism of SadA function, demonstrating an important role for the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail in SadA function. We found that a SadA tailless mutant was unable to rescue the sadA adhesion deficiency, and overexpression of the SadA tail domain reduced adhesion in wild-type cells. We also show that SadA is closely associated with the actin cytoskeleton. Mutagenesis studies suggested that four serine residues in the tail, S924/S925 and S940/S941, may regulate association of SadA with the actin cytoskeleton. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays identified at least one likely interaction partner of the SadA tail, cortexillin I, a known actin bundling protein. Thus, our data demonstrate an important role for the carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic tail in SadA function and strongly suggest that a phosphorylation event in this tail regulates an interaction with cortexillin I. Based on our data, we propose a model for the function of SadA. PMID:21441344

Differentiation-inducing factor-1 and -2 function also as modulators for Dictyostelium chemotaxis.

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Hidekazu Kuwayama

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In the early stages of development of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, chemotaxis toward cAMP plays a pivotal role in organizing discrete cells into a multicellular structure. In this process, a series of signaling molecules, such as G-protein-coupled cell surface receptors for cAMP, phosphatidylinositol metabolites, and cyclic nucleotides, function as the signal transducers for controlling dynamics of cytoskeleton. Differentiation-inducing factor-1 and -2 (DIF-1 and DIF-2 were originally identified as the factors (chlorinated alkylphenones that induce Dictyostelium stalk cell differentiation, but it remained unknown whether the DIFs had any other physiologic functions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To further elucidate the functions of DIFs, in the present study we investigated their effects on chemotaxis under various conditions. Quite interestingly, in shallow cAMP gradients, DIF-1 suppressed chemotaxis whereas DIF-2 promoted it greatly. Analyses with various mutants revealed that DIF-1 may inhibit chemotaxis, at least in part, via GbpB (a phosphodiesterase and a decrease in the intracellular cGMP concentration ([cGMP](i. DIF-2, by contrast, may enhance chemotaxis, at least in part, via RegA (another phosphodiesterase and an increase in [cGMP](i. Using null mutants for DimA and DimB, the transcription factors that are required for DIF-dependent prestalk differentiation, we also showed that the mechanisms for the modulation of chemotaxis by DIFs differ from those for the induction of cell differentiation by DIFs, at least in part. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that DIF-1 and DIF-2 function as negative and positive modulators for Dictyostelium chemotaxis, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report in any organism of physiologic modulators (small molecules for chemotaxis having differentiation-inducing activity.

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-DDIS-01-0111 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-DDIS-01-0111 ref|XP_636760.1| alkaline dihydroceramidase [Dictyostelium discoi...deum AX4] gb|AAQ98884.1| alkaline dihydroceramidase [Dictyostelium discoideum] gb|EAL63276.1| alkaline dihydroceramidase [Dictyostelium discoideum AX4] XP_636760.1 7e-59 45% ...

The Amoebal MAP Kinase Response to Legionella pneumophila Is Regulated by DupA

OpenAIRE

Li, Zhiru; Dugan, Aisling S.; Bloomfield, Gareth; Skelton, Jason; Ivens, Alasdair; Losick, Vicki; Isberg, Ralph R.

2009-01-01

The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum can support replication of Legionella pneumophila. Here we identify the dupA gene, encoding a putative tyrosine kinase/dual-specificity phosphatase, in a screen for D. discoideum mutants altered in allowing L. pneumophila intracellular replication. Inactivation of dupA resulted in depressed L. pneumophila growth and sustained hyperphosphorylation of the amoebal MAP kinase ERK1, consistent with loss of a phosphatase activity. Bacterial challenge of wild-type...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-DDIS-01-0132 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-DDIS-01-0132 ref|XP_646256.1| cellulose synthase [Dictyostelium discoideum AX4...] gb|AAF00200.1|AF163835_1 cellulose synthase [Dictyostelium discoideum] gb|EAL71912.1| cellulose synthase [Dictyostelium discoideum AX4] XP_646256.1 0.0 99% ...

Mitochondria are the target organelle of differentiation-inducing factor-3, an anti-tumor agent isolated from Dictyostelium discoideum [corrected].

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuzuru Kubohara

Full Text Available Differentiation-inducing factor-3 (DIF-3, found in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, and its derivatives such as butoxy-DIF-3 (Bu-DIF-3 are potent anti-tumor agents. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the actions of DIF-3 remain to be elucidated. In this study, we synthesized a green fluorescent derivative of DIF-3, BODIPY-DIF-3, and a control fluorescent compound, Bu-BODIPY (butyl-BODIPY, and investigated how DIF-like molecules behave in human cervical cancer HeLa cells by using both fluorescence and electron microscopy. BODIPY-DIF-3 at 5-20 µ M suppressed cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, whereas Bu-BODIPY had minimal effect on cell growth. When cells were incubated with BODIPY-DIF-3 at 20 µM, it penetrated cell membranes within 0.5 h and localized mainly in mitochondria, while Bu-BODIPY did not stain the cells. Exposure of cells for 1-3 days to DIF-3, Bu-DIF-3, BODIPY-DIF-3, or CCCP (a mitochondrial uncoupler induced substantial mitochondrial swelling, suppressing cell growth. When added to isolated mitochondria, DIF-3, Bu-DIF-3, and BOIDPY-DIF-3, like CCCP, dose-dependently promoted the rate of oxygen consumption, but Bu-BODIPY did not. Our results suggest that these bioactive DIF-like molecules suppress cell growth, at least in part, by disturbing mitochondrial activity. This is the first report showing the cellular localization and behavior of DIF-like molecules in mammalian tumor cells.

Dicty_cDB: VHJ195 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available -B/AFN547Q.Seq.d/ 1342 0.0 SLE172 (SLE172Q) /CSM/SL/SLE1-C/SLE172Q.Seq.d/ 1102 0.0 SLD492 (SLD492Q) /CSM/SL/SLD4-D/SLD492...8502 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:dda28m11, 5' ... 839 0.0 2 ( AU052538 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLD492...2597 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLD569. 113 2e-20 1 ( AU061182 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLD492

Mechano-chemical signaling maintains the rapid movement of Dictyostelium cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lombardi, M.L.; Knecht, D.A.; Lee, J.

2008-01-01

The survival of Dictyostelium cells depends on their ability to efficiently chemotax, either towards food or to form multicellular aggregates. Although the involvement of Ca 2+ signaling during chemotaxis is well known, it is not clear how this regulates cell movement. Previously, fish epithelial keratocytes have been shown to display transient increases in intracellular calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) that are mediated by stretch-activated calcium channels (SACs), which play a role in retraction of the cell body [J. Lee, A. Ishihara, G. Oxford, B. Johnson, and K. Jacobson, Regulation of cell movement is mediated by stretch-activated calcium channels. Nature, 1999. 400(6742): p. 382-6.]. To investigate the involvement of SACs in Dictyostelium movement we performed high resolution calcium imaging in wild-type (NC4A2) Dictyostelium cells to detect changes in [Ca 2+ ] i . We observed small, brief, Ca 2+ transients in randomly moving wild-type cells that were dependent on both intracellular and extracellular sources of calcium. Treatment of cells with the SAC blocker gadolinium (Gd 3+ ) inhibited transients and decreased cell speed, consistent with the involvement of SACs in regulating Dictyostelium motility. Additional support for SAC activity was given by the increase in frequency of Ca 2+ transients when Dictyostelium cells were moving on a more adhesive substratum or when they were mechanically stretched. We conclude that mechano-chemical signaling via SACs plays a major role in maintaining the rapid movement of Dictyostelium cells

A flavin-dependent halogenase catalyzes the chlorination step in the biosynthesis of Dictyostelium differentiation-inducing factor 1

OpenAIRE

Neumann, Christopher S.; Walsh, Christopher T.; Kay, Robert R.

2010-01-01

Differentiation-inducing factor 1 (DIF-1) is a polyketide-derived morphogen which drives stalk cell formation in the developmental cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum. Previous experiments demonstrated that the biosynthetic pathway proceeds via dichlorination of the precursor molecule THPH, but the enzyme responsible for this transformation has eluded characterization. Our recent studies on prokaryotic flavin-dependent halogenases and insights from the sequenced Dd genome led us to a candidate ...

The Dictyostelium Bcr/Abr-related protein DRG regulates both Rac- and Rab-dependent pathways

OpenAIRE

Knetsch, Menno L.W.; Schäfers, Nicole; Horstmann, Heinz; Manstein, Dietmar J.

2001-01-01

Dictyostelium discoideum DdRacGap1 (DRG) contains both Rho-GEF and Rho-GAP domains, a feature it shares with mammalian Bcr and Abr. To elucidate the physiological role of this multifunctional protein, we characterized the enzymatic activity of recombinant DRG fragments in vitro, created DRG-null cells, and studied the function of the protein in vivo by analysing the phenotypic changes displayed by DRG-depleted cells and DRG-null cells complemented with DRG or DRG fragments. Our results show t...

Lack of Ecological and Life History Context Can Create the Illusion of Social Interactions in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-García, Ricardo; Tarnita, Corina E

2016-12-01

Studies of social microbes often focus on one fitness component (reproductive success within the social complex), with little information about or attention to other stages of the life cycle or the ecological context. This can lead to paradoxical results. The life cycle of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum includes a multicellular stage in which not necessarily clonal amoebae aggregate upon starvation to form a possibly chimeric (genetically heterogeneous) fruiting body made of dead stalk cells and spores. The lab-measured reproductive skew in the spores of chimeras indicates strong social antagonism that should result in low genotypic diversity, which is inconsistent with observations from nature. Two studies have suggested that this inconsistency stems from the one-dimensional assessment of fitness (spore production) and that the solution lies in tradeoffs between multiple life-history traits, e.g.: spore size versus viability; and spore-formation (via aggregation) versus staying vegetative (as non-aggregated cells). We develop an ecologically-grounded, socially-neutral model (i.e. no social interactions between genotypes) for the life cycle of social amoebae in which we theoretically explore multiple non-social life-history traits, tradeoffs and tradeoff-implementing mechanisms. We find that spore production comes at the expense of time to complete aggregation, and, depending on the experimental setup, spore size and viability. Furthermore, experimental results regarding apparent social interactions within chimeric mixes can be qualitatively recapitulated under this neutral hypothesis, without needing to invoke social interactions. This allows for simple potential resolutions to the previously paradoxical results. We conclude that the complexities of life histories, including social behavior and multicellularity, can only be understood in the appropriate multidimensional ecological context, when considering all stages of the life cycle.

Dicty_cDB: SFF823 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available gy vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott...id:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 83 3e-15 AC117076_18( AC117076 |pid:none) Dictyostelium disco

Dicty_cDB: VFD730 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available omology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wisco...otein Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wisco...tt-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, complete cds. 4...tt-A... 83 3e-15 AC117076_18( AC117076 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromoso

Properties of a non-bioactive fluorescent derivative of differentiation-inducing factor-3, an anti-tumor agent found in Dictyostelium discoideum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuzuru Kubohara

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Differentiation-inducing factor-3 (DIF-3, found in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, and its derivatives, such as butoxy-DIF-3 (Bu-DIF-3, are potent anti-tumor agents. To investigate the activity of DIF-like molecules in tumor cells, we recently synthesized a green fluorescent DIF-3 derivative, BODIPY-DIF-3G, and analyzed its bioactivity and cellular localization. In this study, we synthesized a red (orange fluorescent DIF-3 derivative, BODIPY-DIF-3R, and compared the cellular localization and bioactivities of the two BODIPY-DIF-3s in HeLa human cervical cancer cells. Both fluorescent compounds penetrated the extracellular membrane within 0.5 h and localized mainly to the mitochondria. In formalin-fixed cells, the two BODIPY-DIF-3s also localized to the mitochondria, indicating that the BODIPY-DIF-3s were incorporated into mitochondria independently of the mitochondrial membrane potential. After treatment for 3 days, BODIPY-DIF-3G, but not BODIPY-DIF-3R, induced mitochondrial swelling and suppressed cell proliferation. Interestingly, the swollen mitochondria were stainable with BODIPY-DIF-3G but not with BODIPY-DIF-3R. When added to isolated mitochondria in vitro, BODIPY-DIF-3G increased dose-dependently the rate of O2 consumption, but BODIPY-DIF-3R did not. These results suggest that the bioactive BODIPY-DIF-3G suppresses cell proliferation, at least in part, by altering mitochondrial activity, whereas the non-bioactive BODIPY-DIF-3R localizes to the mitochondria but does not affect mitochondrial activity or cell proliferation.

Predicting the distribution of spiral waves from cell properties in a developmental-path model of Dictyostelium pattern formation.

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Daniel Geberth

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum is one of the model systems of biological pattern formation. One of the most successful answers to the challenge of establishing a spiral wave pattern in a colony of homogeneously distributed D. discoideum cells has been the suggestion of a developmental path the cells follow (Lauzeral and coworkers. This is a well-defined change in properties each cell undergoes on a longer time scale than the typical dynamics of the cell. Here we show that this concept leads to an inhomogeneous and systematic spatial distribution of spiral waves, which can be predicted from the distribution of cells on the developmental path. We propose specific experiments for checking whether such systematics are also found in data and thus, indirectly, provide evidence of a developmental path.

Dicty_cDB: CFC194 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available equences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott...nts: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott

Dicty_cDB: AFE360 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available t alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein ...(bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A..

Multiple Degradation Pathways of Chemoattractant Mediated Cyclic GMP Accumulation in Dictyostelium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Lookeren Campagne, Michiel M. van; Kesbeke, Fanja

1983-01-01

Chemoattractants induce a transient accumulation of cGMP levels in Dictyostelium. Intracellular cGMP levels reach a peak at 10 s and prestimulated cGMP levels are recovered at about 30 s. Intracellular and extracellular cGMP levels were detected simultaneously after stimulation of D. lacteum cells

The ROCO Kinase QkgA Is Necessary for Proliferation Inhibition by Autocrine Signals in Dictyostelium discoideum▿

OpenAIRE

Phillips, Jonathan E.; Gomer, Richard H.

2010-01-01

AprA and CfaD are secreted proteins that function as autocrine signals to inhibit cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum. Cells lacking AprA or CfaD proliferate rapidly, and adding AprA or CfaD to cells slows proliferation. Cells lacking the ROCO kinase QkgA proliferate rapidly, with a doubling time 83% of that of the wild type, and overexpression of a QkgA-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein slows cell proliferation. We found that qkgA− cells accumulate normal levels of ex...

Dicty_cDB: AFF743 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott...oducing significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott

Structure, dynamics and folding of an immunoglobulin domain of the gelation factor (ABP-120) from Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Shang-Te Danny; Cabrita, Lisa D; Fucini, Paola; Dobson, Christopher M; Christodoulou, John

2009-05-15

We have carried out a detailed structural and dynamical characterisation of the isolated fifth repeat of the gelation factor (ABP-120) from Dictyostelium discoideum (ddFLN5) by NMR spectroscopy to provide a basis for studies of co-translational folding on the ribosome of this immunoglobulin-like domain. The isolated ddFLN5 can fold autonomously in solution into a structure that resembles very closely the crystal structure of the domain in a construct in which the adjacent sixth repeat (ddFLN6) is covalently linked to its C-terminus in tandem but deviates locally from a second crystal structure in which ddFLN5 is flanked by ddFLN4 and ddFLN6 at both N- and C-termini. Conformational fluctuations were observed via (15)N relaxation methods and are primarily localised in the interstrand loops that encompass the C-terminal hemisphere. These fluctuations are distinct in location from the region where line broadening is observed in ddFLN5 when attached to the ribosome as part of a nascent chain. This observation supports the conclusion that the broadening is associated with interactions with the ribosome surface [Hsu, S. T. D., Fucini, P., Cabrita, L. D., Launay, H., Dobson, C. M. & Christodoulou, J. (2007). Structure and dynamics of a ribosome-bound nascent chain by NMR spectroscopy. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 104, 16516-16521]. The unfolding of ddFLN5 induced by high concentrations of urea shows a low population of a folding intermediate, as inferred from an intensity-based analysis, a finding that differs from that of ddFLN5 as a ribosome-bound nascent chain. These results suggest that interesting differences in detail may exist between the structure of the domain in isolation and when linked to the ribosome and between protein folding in vitro and the folding of a nascent chain as it emerges from the ribosome.

Dicty_cDB: SFC807 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available icant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome prot...ng significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott

Two distinct sensing pathways allow recognition of Klebsiella pneumoniae by Dictyostelium amoebae.

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, Wanessa C; Balestrino, Damien; Forestier, Christiane; Cosson, Pierre

2014-03-01

Recognition of bacteria by metazoans is mediated by receptors that recognize different types of microorganisms and elicit specific cellular responses. The soil amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum feeds upon a variable mixture of environmental bacteria, and it is expected to recognize and adapt to various food sources. To date, however, no bacteria-sensing mechanisms have been described. In this study, we isolated a Dictyostelium mutant (fspA KO) unable to grow in the presence of non-capsulated Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, but growing as efficiently as wild-type cells in the presence of other bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis. fspA KO cells were also unable to respond to K. pneumoniae and more specifically to bacterially secreted folate in a chemokinetic assay, while they responded readily to B. subtilis. Remarkably, both WT and fspA KO cells were able to grow in the presence of capsulated LM21 K. pneumoniae, and responded to purified capsule, indicating that capsule recognition may represent an alternative, FspA-independent mechanism for K. pneumoniae sensing. When LM21 capsule synthesis genes were deleted, growth and chemokinetic response were lost for fspA KO cells, but not for WT cells. Altogether, these results indicate that Dictyostelium amoebae use specific recognition mechanisms to respond to different K. pneumoniae elements. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dicty_cDB: VFN644 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available A clone:ddv28g12, 3' ... 404 0.0 5 ( AF305060 ) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-...ng significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A..

Dicty_cDB: AFG687 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott...n Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-DDIS-01-0111 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-DDIS-01-0111 ref|XP_646081.1| alkaline dihydroceramidase [Dictyostelium discoi...deum AX4] gb|EAL72137.1| alkaline dihydroceramidase [Dictyostelium discoideum AX4] XP_646081.1 1e-164 100% ...

Dicty_cDB: VFA863 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ore E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott...gnificant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 83

Dicty_cDB: CFG253 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, complete...ences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott

Variation in the excitability of developed D. discoideum cells as a function of agar concentration in the substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Oikawa, Noriko; Bae, Albert; Amselem, Gabriel; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2010-03-01

In the absence of nutrients, Dictyostelium discoideum cells enter a developmental cycle--they signal each other, aggregate, and ultimately form fruiting bodies. During the signaling stage, the cells relay waves of cyclic adenosine 3',5' monophosphate (cAMP). We observed a transition from spiral to circular patterns in the signaling wave, depending on the agar concentration of the substrate. In this talk we will present the changes in the times for the onset of signaling and synchronization versus agar concentration, as measured by spectral entropy. We also will discuss the origin of these effects.

Dicty_cDB: SSG705 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available NA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott...quences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott

Dicty_cDB: SFC789 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldri...ne) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 34 0.031 protein update 2009. 1. 7 PSORT psg: 0.84 gvh: 0.42 alm:

Burkholderia bacteria infectiously induce the proto-farming symbiosis of Dictyostelium amoebae and food bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

DiSalvo, Susanne; Haselkorn, Tamara S; Bashir, Usman; Jimenez, Daniela; Brock, Debra A; Queller, David C; Strassmann, Joan E

2015-09-08

Symbiotic associations can allow an organism to acquire novel traits by accessing the genetic repertoire of its partner. In the Dictyostelium discoideum farming symbiosis, certain amoebas (termed "farmers") stably associate with bacterial partners. Farmers can suffer a reproductive cost but also gain beneficial capabilities, such as carriage of bacterial food (proto-farming) and defense against competitors. Farming status previously has been attributed to amoeba genotype, but the role of bacterial partners in its induction has not been examined. Here, we explore the role of bacterial associates in the initiation, maintenance, and phenotypic effects of the farming symbiosis. We demonstrate that two clades of farmer-associated Burkholderia isolates colonize D. discoideum nonfarmers and infectiously endow them with farmer-like characteristics, indicating that Burkholderia symbionts are a major driver of the farming phenomenon. Under food-rich conditions, Burkholderia-colonized amoebas produce fewer spores than uncolonized counterparts, with the severity of this reduction being dependent on the Burkholderia colonizer. However, the induction of food carriage by Burkholderia colonization may be considered a conditionally adaptive trait because it can confer an advantage to the amoeba host when grown in food-limiting conditions. We observed Burkholderia inside and outside colonized D. discoideum spores after fruiting body formation; this observation, together with the ability of Burkholderia to colonize new amoebas, suggests a mixed mode of symbiont transmission. These results change our understanding of the D. discoideum farming symbiosis by establishing that the bacterial partner, Burkholderia, is an important causative agent of the farming phenomenon.

Dicty_cDB: SLH341 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 5 ( AF305060 ) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome... 404 0.0 5 ( B...ts) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 83 8e-15 AC117076_18( AC1170

Dicty_cDB: SFJ736 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, complete cds. 470 e-129 2 BQ923...1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 81 1e-14 AC117076_18

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB593 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U02438-1 VFB593E (Link...) Clone ID VFB593 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U02438-1 Ori...0.009 6 AC116986 |AC116986.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2234041-25...sequence. 46 0.031 2 AC115577 |AC115577.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 m...ap 4657875-4914984 strain AX4, complete sequence. 34 0.051 14 AC116960 |AC116960.2 Dictyostelium discoideum

Gene discovery by chemical mutagenesis and whole-genome sequencing in Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cheng-Lin Frank; Santhanam, Balaji; Webb, Amanda Nicole; Zupan, Blaž; Shaulsky, Gad

2016-09-01

Whole-genome sequencing is a useful approach for identification of chemical-induced lesions, but previous applications involved tedious genetic mapping to pinpoint the causative mutations. We propose that saturation mutagenesis under low mutagenic loads, followed by whole-genome sequencing, should allow direct implication of genes by identifying multiple independent alleles of each relevant gene. We tested the hypothesis by performing three genetic screens with chemical mutagenesis in the social soil amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum Through genome sequencing, we successfully identified mutant genes with multiple alleles in near-saturation screens, including resistance to intense illumination and strong suppressors of defects in an allorecognition pathway. We tested the causality of the mutations by comparison to published data and by direct complementation tests, finding both dominant and recessive causative mutations. Therefore, our strategy provides a cost- and time-efficient approach to gene discovery by integrating chemical mutagenesis and whole-genome sequencing. The method should be applicable to many microbial systems, and it is expected to revolutionize the field of functional genomics in Dictyostelium by greatly expanding the mutation spectrum relative to other common mutagenesis methods. © 2016 Li et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Nanovesicles released by Dictyostelium cells: a potential carrier for drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavialle, Françoise; Deshayes, Sophie; Gonnet, Florence; Larquet, Eric; Kruglik, Sergei G; Boisset, Nicolas; Daniel, Régis; Alfsen, Annette; Tatischeff, Irène

2009-10-01

Nanovesicles released by Dictyostelium discoideum cells grown in the presence of the DNA-specific dye Hoechst 33342 have been previously shown to mediate the transfer of the dye into the nuclei of Hoechst-resistant cells. The present investigation extends this work by conducting experiments in the presence of hypericin, a fluorescent therapeutic photosensitizer assayed for antitumoral photodynamic therapy. Nanovesicles released by Dictyostelium cells exhibit an averaged diameter between 50 and 150 nm, as measured by transmission cryoelectron microscopy. A proteomic analysis reveals a predominance of actin and actin-related proteins. The detection of a lysosomal membrane protein (LIMP II) indicates that these vesicles are likely generated in the late endosomal compartment. The use of the hypericin-containing nanovesicles as nanodevices for in vitro drug delivery was investigated by fluorescence microscopy. The observed signal was almost exclusively located in the perinuclear area of two human cell lines, skin fibroblasts (HS68) and cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cells. Studies by confocal microscopy with specific markers of cell organelles, provided evidence that hypericin was accumulated in the Golgi apparatus. All these data shed a new light on in vitro drug delivery by using cell-released vesicles as carriers.

Dicty_cDB: SHE721 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott...305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 83 8e-15 AC117076_18( AC117076 |pid:none

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U12991-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ( AF272150 ) Dictyostelium discoideum deliriumA (dlrA) gene, c... 2022 0.0 3 ( BJ...39594 ) TT1EP48TV Tetrahymena thermophila SB210 cDNA libr... 38 10.0 2 >( AF272150 ) Dictyostelium discoideum delirium

The PsB glycoprotein complex is secreted as a preassembled precursor of the spore coat in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, N; McGuire, V; Alexander, S

1994-09-01

The PsB glycoprotein in Dictyostelium discoideum is one of a diverse group of developmentally regulated, prespore-cell-specific proteins, that contain a common O-linked oligosaccharide. This post-translational modification is dependent on the wild-type modB allele. The PsB protein exists as part of a multiprotein complex of six different proteins, which have different post-translational modifications and are held together by both covalent and non-covalent interactions (Watson et al. (1993). J. Biol. Chem. 268, 22634-22641). In this study we have used microscopic and biochemical analyses to examine the cellular localization and function of the PsB complex during development. We found that the PsB complex first accumulates in prespore vesicles in slug cells and is secreted later during culmination and becomes localized to both the extracellular matrix of the apical spore mass of mature fruiting bodies and to the inner layer of the spore coat. The PsB associated with the spore coat is covalently bound by disulfide bridges. The PsB protein always exists in a multiprotein complex, but the composition of the PsB complex changes during secretion and spore maturation. Some of the PsB complex proteins have been identified as spore coat proteins. These data demonstrate that some of the proteins that form the spore coat exist as a preassembled precursor complex. The PsB complex is secreted in a developmentally regulated manner during the process of spore differentiation, at which time proteins of the complex, as well as additional spore coat proteins, become covalently associated in at least two forms of extracellular matrix: the interspore matrix and the spore coat. These and other studies show that proteins with modB dependent O-linked oligosaccharides are involved in a wide variety of processes underlying morphogenesis in this organism. These developmental processes are the direct result of cellular mechanisms regulating protein targeting, assembly and secretion, and the

Targets downstream of Cdk8 in Dictyostelium development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skelton Jason

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cdk8 is a component of the mediator complex which facilitates transcription by RNA polymerase II and has been shown to play an important role in development of Dictyostelium discoideum. This eukaryote feeds as single cells but starvation triggers the formation of a multicellular organism in response to extracellular pulses of cAMP and the eventual generation of spores. Strains in which the gene encoding Cdk8 have been disrupted fail to form multicellular aggregates unless supplied with exogenous pulses of cAMP and later in development, cdk8- cells show a defect in spore production. Results Microarray analysis revealed that the cdk8- strain previously described (cdk8-HL contained genome duplications. Regeneration of the strain in a background lacking detectable gene duplication generated strains (cdk8-2 with identical defects in growth and early development, but a milder defect in spore generation, suggesting that the severity of this defect depends on the genetic background. The failure of cdk8- cells to aggregate unless rescued by exogenous pulses of cAMP is consistent with a failure to express the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A. However, overexpression of the gene encoding this protein was not sufficient to rescue the defect, suggesting that this is not the only important target for Cdk8 at this stage of development. Proteomic analysis revealed two potential targets for Cdk8 regulation, one regulated post-transcriptionally (4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPD and one transcriptionally (short chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR1. Conclusions This analysis has confirmed the importance of Cdk8 at multiple stages of Dictyostelium development, although the severity of the defect in spore production depends on the genetic background. Potential targets of Cdk8-mediated gene regulation have been identified in Dictyostelium which will allow the mechanism of Cdk8 action and its role in development to be determined.

Dicty_cDB: SFK712 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available deum cDNA clone:dda5o08, 3' e... 404 e-125 2 ( AF305060 ) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome....ore E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott

Dicty_cDB: VSJ735 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, complete cds. 436 0.0 5 A... AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 214 2e-54 BC087802_1( BC087802 |pid:none) Xenopus

Dicty_cDB: VSC304 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 05060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, complete cds. 622 0...bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 167 1e-44 AC117076_18( AC1

Dicty_cDB: CFG349 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available its) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, com...060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 247 4e-64 DQ985464_1( DQ985464 |pid:none) S

Dicty_cDB: SFG565 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 5060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, complete cds. 626 0.0 8 AC1170...bits) Value AF305060_1( AF305060 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 254 4e-77 AC117076_18( AC1

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-DDIS-03-0190 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-DDIS-03-0190 ref|XP_646956.1| ARID/BRIGHT DNA binding domain-containing protei...n [Dictyostelium discoideum AX4] gb|EAL72978.1| ARID/BRIGHT DNA binding domain-containing protein [Dictyostelium discoideum AX4] XP_646956.1 1e-06 23% ...

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB606 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB606E (Link...) Clone ID VFB606 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Ori...ucing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X03281 |X03281.1 Dictyostelium discoideum gene for actin A8. 22...28 0.0 1 AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 1685067-2...2028 0.0 1 AC115579 |AC115579.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4915084-5005461 strain AX4, comple

Effect of drugs on lipid methylation, receptor-adenylate cyclase coupling and cyclic AMP secretion in Dictyostelium discoideum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Waarde, Aren; Van Haastert, P.J.M.

1986-01-01

Intercellular communication in Dictyostelium discoldeum takes place by means of cyclic AMP-induced cyclic AMP-synthesis and secretion. Since phospholipid methylation has been suggested to play a role in receptor-adenylate cyclase coupling, we examined the effects of transmethylation inhibitors on

G-protein-mediated interconversions of cell-surface cAMP receptors and their involvement in excitation and desensitization of guanylate cyclase in Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van Haastert, P.J.; de Wit, R.J.; Janssens, P.M.; Kesbeke, F.; DeGoede, J.

1986-01-01

In Dictyostelium discoideum cells, extracellular cAMP induces the rapid (within 2 s) activation of guanylate cyclase, which is followed by complete desensitization after about 10 s. cAMP binding to these cells is heterogeneous, showing a subclass of fast dissociating sites coupled to adenylate cyclase (A-sites) and a subclass of slowly dissociating sites coupled to guanylate cyclase (B-sites). The kinetics of the B-sites were further investigated on a seconds time scale. Statistical analysis of the association of [ 3 H]cAMP to the B-sites and dissociation of the complex revealed that the receptor can exist in three states which interconvert according to the following scheme. cAMP binds to the BF-state (off-rate 2.5 s) which rapidly (t1/2 = 3 s) converts to the BS-state (off-rate 15 s) and subsequently (without a detectable delay) into the BSS-state (off-rate 150 s). In membranes, both the BS- and BSS-states are converted to the BF-state by GTP and GDP, suggesting the involvement of a G-protein. Densensitized cells show a 80% reduction of the formation of the BSS-state, but no reduction of the BF- or BS-state. These data are combined into a model in which the transitions of the B-sites are mediated by a G-protein; activation of the G-protein and guanylate cyclase is associated with the transition of the BS- to the BSS-state of the receptor, whereas desensitization is associated with the inhibition of this transition

TgrC1 mediates cell-cell adhesion by interacting with TgrB1 via mutual IPT/TIG domains during development of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Gong; Wang, Jun; Xu, Xiaoqun; Wu, Xiangfu; Piao, Ruihan; Siu, Chi-Hung

2013-06-01

Cell-cell adhesion plays crucial roles in cell differentiation and morphogenesis during development of Dictyostelium discoideum. The heterophilic adhesion protein TgrC1 (Tgr is transmembrane, IPT, IG, E-set, repeat protein) is expressed during cell aggregation, and disruption of the tgrC1 gene results in the arrest of development at the loose aggregate stage. We have used far-Western blotting coupled with MS to identify TgrB1 as the heterophilic binding partner of TgrC1. Co-immunoprecipitation and pull-down studies showed that TgrB1 and TgrC1 are capable of binding with each other in solution. TgrB1 and TgrC1 are encoded by a pair of adjacent genes which share a common promoter. Both TgrB1 and TgrC1 are type I transmembrane proteins, which contain three extracellular IPT/TIG (immunoglobulin, plexin, transcription factor-like/transcription factor immunoglobulin) domains. Antibodies raised against TgrB1 inhibit cell reassociation at the post-aggregation stage of development and block fruiting body formation. Ectopic expression of TgrB1 and TgrC1 driven by the actin15 promoter leads to heterotypic cell aggregation of vegetative cells. Using recombinant proteins that cover different portions of TgrB1 and TgrC1 in binding assays, we have mapped the cell-binding regions in these two proteins to Lys(537)-Ala(783) in TgrB1 and Ile(336)-Val(360) in TgrC1, corresponding to their respective TIG3 and TIG2 domain.

dictyExpress: a web-based platform for sequence data management and analytics in Dictyostelium and beyond.

Science.gov (United States)

Stajdohar, Miha; Rosengarten, Rafael D; Kokosar, Janez; Jeran, Luka; Blenkus, Domen; Shaulsky, Gad; Zupan, Blaz

2017-06-02

Dictyostelium discoideum, a soil-dwelling social amoeba, is a model for the study of numerous biological processes. Research in the field has benefited mightily from the adoption of next-generation sequencing for genomics and transcriptomics. Dictyostelium biologists now face the widespread challenges of analyzing and exploring high dimensional data sets to generate hypotheses and discovering novel insights. We present dictyExpress (2.0), a web application designed for exploratory analysis of gene expression data, as well as data from related experiments such as Chromatin Immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq). The application features visualization modules that include time course expression profiles, clustering, gene ontology enrichment analysis, differential expression analysis and comparison of experiments. All visualizations are interactive and interconnected, such that the selection of genes in one module propagates instantly to visualizations in other modules. dictyExpress currently stores the data from over 800 Dictyostelium experiments and is embedded within a general-purpose software framework for management of next-generation sequencing data. dictyExpress allows users to explore their data in a broader context by reciprocal linking with dictyBase-a repository of Dictyostelium genomic data. In addition, we introduce a companion application called GenBoard, an intuitive graphic user interface for data management and bioinformatics analysis. dictyExpress and GenBoard enable broad adoption of next generation sequencing based inquiries by the Dictyostelium research community. Labs without the means to undertake deep sequencing projects can mine the data available to the public. The entire information flow, from raw sequence data to hypothesis testing, can be accomplished in an efficient workspace. The software framework is generalizable and represents a useful approach for any research community. To encourage more wide usage, the backend is open

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB770 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB770E (Link...) Clone ID VFB770 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Ori...logy vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X03281 |X03281.1 Dictyosteliu...m discoideum gene for actin A8. 2230 0.0 1 AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 16...deum actin 15 gene, complete cds. 2030 0.0 1 AC115579 |AC115579.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map

Comparing the Dictyostelium and Entamoeba genomes reveals an ancient split in the Conosa lineage.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Song

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The Amoebozoa are a sister clade to the fungi and the animals, but are poorly sampled for completely sequenced genomes. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and amitochondriate pathogen Entamoeba histolytica are the first Amoebozoa with genomes completely sequenced. Both organisms are classified under the Conosa subphylum. To identify Amoebozoa-specific genomic elements, we compared these two genomes to each other and to other eukaryotic genomes. An expanded phylogenetic tree built from the complete predicted proteomes of 23 eukaryotes places the two amoebae in the same lineage, although the divergence is estimated to be greater than that between animals and fungi, and probably happened shortly after the Amoebozoa split from the opisthokont lineage. Most of the 1,500 orthologous gene families shared between the two amoebae are also shared with plant, animal, and fungal genomes. We found that only 42 gene families are distinct to the amoeba lineage; among these are a large number of proteins that contain repeats of the FNIP domain, and a putative transcription factor essential for proper cell type differentiation in D. discoideum. These Amoebozoa-specific genes may be useful in the design of novel diagnostics and therapies for amoebal pathologies.

Desynchronization of cells on the developmental path triggers the formation of spiral waves of cAMP during Dictyostelium aggregation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauzeral, J; Halloy, J; Goldbeter, A

1997-08-19

Whereas it is relatively easy to account for the formation of concentric (target) waves of cAMP in the course of Dictyostelium discoideum aggregation after starvation, the origin of spiral waves remains obscure. We investigate a physiologically plausible mechanism for the spontaneous formation of spiral waves of cAMP in D. discoideum. The scenario relies on the developmental path associated with the continuous changes in the activity of enzymes such as adenylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase observed during the hours that follow starvation. These changes bring the cells successively from a nonexcitable state to an excitable state in which they relay suprathreshold cAMP pulses, and then to autonomous oscillations of cAMP, before the system returns to an excitable state. By analyzing a model for cAMP signaling based on receptor desensitization, we show that the desynchronization of cells on this developmental path triggers the formation of fully developed spirals of cAMP. Developmental paths that do not correspond to the sequence of dynamic transitions no relay-relay-oscillations-relay are less able or fail to give rise to the formation of spirals.

Derivatives of Dictyostelium differentiation-inducing factors inhibit lysophosphatidic acid–stimulated migration of murine osteosarcoma LM8 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubohara, Yuzuru, E-mail: ykuboha@juntendo.ac.jp [Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation (IMCR), Gunma University, Maebashi 371-8512 (Japan); Department of Health Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Health and Sports Science, Inzai 270-1695 (Japan); Komachi, Mayumi [Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation (IMCR), Gunma University, Maebashi 371-8512 (Japan); Department of Radiation Oncology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511 (Japan); Homma, Yoshimi [Department of Biomolecular Science, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295 (Japan); Kikuchi, Haruhisa; Oshima, Yoshiteru [Laboratory of Natural Product Chemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aoba-yama, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan)

2015-08-07

Osteosarcoma is a common metastatic bone cancer that predominantly develops in children and adolescents. Metastatic osteosarcoma remains associated with a poor prognosis; therefore, more effective anti-metastatic drugs are needed. Differentiation-inducing factor-1 (DIF-1), −2, and −3 are novel lead anti-tumor agents that were originally isolated from the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. Here we investigated the effects of a panel of DIF derivatives on lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-induced migration of mouse osteosarcoma LM8 cells by using a Boyden chamber assay. Some DIF derivatives such as Br-DIF-1, DIF-3(+2), and Bu-DIF-3 (5–20 μM) dose-dependently suppressed LPA-induced cell migration with associated IC{sub 50} values of 5.5, 4.6, and 4.2 μM, respectively. On the other hand, the IC{sub 50} values of Br-DIF-1, DIF-3(+2), and Bu-DIF-3 versus cell proliferation were 18.5, 7.2, and 2.0 μM, respectively, in LM8 cells, and >20, 14.8, and 4.3 μM, respectively, in mouse 3T3-L1 fibroblasts (non-transformed). Together, our results demonstrate that Br-DIF-1 in particular may be a valuable tool for the analysis of cancer cell migration, and that DIF derivatives such as DIF-3(+2) and Bu-DIF-3 are promising lead anti-tumor agents for the development of therapies that suppress osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. - Highlights: • LPA induces cell migration (invasion) in murine osteosarcoma LM8 cells. • DIFs are novel lead anti-tumor agents found in Dictyostelium discoideum. • We examined the effects of DIF derivatives on LPA-induced LM8 cell migration in vitro. • Some of the DIF derivatives inhibited LPA-induced LM8 cell migration.

The cellulose-binding activity of the PsB multiprotein complex is required for proper assembly of the spore coat and spore viability in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, S; Griffiths, K R; McGuire, V; Champion, A; Williams, K L; Alexander, S

2000-08-01

The terminal event of spore differentiation in the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum is the assembly of the spore coat, which surrounds the dormant amoeba and allows the organism to survive during extended periods of environmental stress. The spore coat is a polarized extracellular matrix composed of glycoproteins and cellulose. The process of spore coat formation begins by the regulated secretion of spore coat proteins from the prespore vesicles (PSVs). Four of the major spore coat proteins (SP96, PsB/SP85, SP70 and SP60) exist as a preassembled multiprotein complex within the PSVs. This complete complex has an endogenous cellulose-binding activity. Mutant strains lacking either the SP96 or SP70 proteins produce partial complexes that do not have cellulose-binding activity, while mutants lacking SP60 produce a partial complex that retains this activity. Using a combination of immunofluorescence microscopy and biochemical methods we now show that the lack of cellulose-binding activity in the SP96 and SP70 mutants results in abnormally assembled spore coats and spores with greatly reduced viability. In contrast, the SP60 mutant, in which the PsB complex retains its cellulose-binding activity, produces spores with apparently unaltered structure and viability. Thus, it is the loss of the cellulose-binding activity of the PsB complex, rather than the mere loss of individual spore coat proteins, that results in compromised spore coat structure. These results support the idea that the cellulose-binding activity associated with the complete PsB complex plays an active role in the assembly of the spore coat.

A Dictyostelium secreted factor requires a PTEN-like phosphatase to slow proliferation and induce chemorepulsion.

Science.gov (United States)

Herlihy, Sarah E; Tang, Yitai; Gomer, Richard H

2013-01-01

In Dictyostelium discoideum, AprA and CfaD are secreted proteins that inhibit cell proliferation. We found that the proliferation of cells lacking CnrN, a phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-like phosphatase, is not inhibited by exogenous AprA and is increased by exogenous CfaD. The expression of CnrN in cnrN cells partially rescues these altered sensitivities, suggesting that CnrN is necessary for the ability of AprA and CfaD to inhibit proliferation. Cells lacking CnrN accumulate normal levels of AprA and CfaD. Like cells lacking AprA and CfaD, cnrN cells proliferate faster and reach a higher maximum cell density than wild type cells, tend to be multinucleate, accumulate normal levels of mass and protein per nucleus, and form less viable spores. When cnrN cells expressing myc-tagged CnrN are stimulated with a mixture of rAprA and rCfaD, levels of membrane-associated myc-CnrN increase. AprA also causes chemorepulsion of Dictyostelium cells, and CnrN is required for this process. Combined, these results suggest that CnrN functions in a signal transduction pathway downstream of AprA and CfaD mediating some, but not all, of the effects of AprA and CfaD.

Dicty_cDB: CHD534 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CH (Link to library) CHD534 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15540-1 CHD534E (Link...) Clone ID CHD534 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15540-1 Ori...nts: (bits) Value N AC114263 |AC114263.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 ma...p 215673-367476 strain AX4, complete sequence. 40 1e-05 6 AC117081 |AC117081.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chro...mosome 2 map 5862124-6045772 strain AX4, complete sequence. 40 2e-05 5 AJ277590 |AJ277590.1 Dictyostelium di

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB752 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U14717-1 VFB752E (Link...) Clone ID VFB752 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U14717-1 Ori...s: (bits) Value N AC116984 |AC116984.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2567470-3108875 strain AX4,... complete sequence. 1215 0.0 11 AC115594 |AC115594.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chr...omosome 2 map 4071862-4101005 strain AX4, complete sequence. 113 3e-47 8 AC116920 |AC116920.2 Dictyostelium

Dicty_cDB: VFE551 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, complet...ictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 112 4e-24 AC117076_18( AC117076 |pid:none) D

A Dictyostelium secreted factor requires a PTEN-like phosphatase to slow proliferation and induce chemorepulsion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah E Herlihy

Full Text Available In Dictyostelium discoideum, AprA and CfaD are secreted proteins that inhibit cell proliferation. We found that the proliferation of cells lacking CnrN, a phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN-like phosphatase, is not inhibited by exogenous AprA and is increased by exogenous CfaD. The expression of CnrN in cnrN cells partially rescues these altered sensitivities, suggesting that CnrN is necessary for the ability of AprA and CfaD to inhibit proliferation. Cells lacking CnrN accumulate normal levels of AprA and CfaD. Like cells lacking AprA and CfaD, cnrN cells proliferate faster and reach a higher maximum cell density than wild type cells, tend to be multinucleate, accumulate normal levels of mass and protein per nucleus, and form less viable spores. When cnrN cells expressing myc-tagged CnrN are stimulated with a mixture of rAprA and rCfaD, levels of membrane-associated myc-CnrN increase. AprA also causes chemorepulsion of Dictyostelium cells, and CnrN is required for this process. Combined, these results suggest that CnrN functions in a signal transduction pathway downstream of AprA and CfaD mediating some, but not all, of the effects of AprA and CfaD.

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB886 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB886E (Link...) Clone ID VFB886 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Ori...t alignments: (bits) Value N X03281 |X03281.1 Dictyostelium discoideum gene for actin A8. 2234 0.0 1 AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dict...4, complete sequence. 2107 0.0 3 M14146 |M14146.1 D.discoideum actin 15 gene, complete cds. 2034 0.0 1 AC115579 |AC115579.2 Dict...4 0.0 2 AC116986 |AC116986.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2234041-25

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC115 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFC115E (Link...) Clone ID VFC115 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Ori...ant alignments: (bits) Value N X03281 |X03281.1 Dictyostelium discoideum gene for actin A8. 954 0.0 7 AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dict...X4, complete sequence. 906 0.0 9 M14146 |M14146.1 D.discoideum actin 15 gene, complete cds. 890 0.0 7 AC115579 |AC115579.2 Dict...0.0 7 U25660 |U25660.1 Dictyostelium discoideum actin gene, partial cds. 866 0.0

The carboxy-terminal domain of Dictyostelium C-module-binding factor is an independent gene regulatory entity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jörg Lucas

Full Text Available The C-module-binding factor (CbfA is a multidomain protein that belongs to the family of jumonji-type (JmjC transcription regulators. In the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, CbfA regulates gene expression during the unicellular growth phase and multicellular development. CbfA and a related D. discoideum CbfA-like protein, CbfB, share a paralogous domain arrangement that includes the JmjC domain, presumably a chromatin-remodeling activity, and two zinc finger-like (ZF motifs. On the other hand, the CbfA and CbfB proteins have completely different carboxy-terminal domains, suggesting that the plasticity of such domains may have contributed to the adaptation of the CbfA-like transcription factors to the rapid genome evolution in the dictyostelid clade. To support this hypothesis we performed DNA microarray and real-time RT-PCR measurements and found that CbfA regulates at least 160 genes during the vegetative growth of D. discoideum cells. Functional annotation of these genes revealed that CbfA predominantly controls the expression of gene products involved in housekeeping functions, such as carbohydrate, purine nucleoside/nucleotide, and amino acid metabolism. The CbfA protein displays two different mechanisms of gene regulation. The expression of one set of CbfA-dependent genes requires at least the JmjC/ZF domain of the CbfA protein and thus may depend on chromatin modulation. Regulation of the larger group of genes, however, does not depend on the entire CbfA protein and requires only the carboxy-terminal domain of CbfA (CbfA-CTD. An AT-hook motif located in CbfA-CTD, which is known to mediate DNA binding to A+T-rich sequences in vitro, contributed to CbfA-CTD-dependent gene regulatory functions in vivo.

Dicty_cDB: SSL103 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available (bits) Value N AF305060 |AF305060.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein (wasA) gene, c...ctyostelium discoideum Wiscott-A... 306 4e-82 FN392319_1421( FN392319 |pid:none) Pichia pastoris GS115 chrom

Dicty_cDB: SLH678 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLH678 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U04159-1 SLH678E (Link... to Original site) - - - - - - SLH678E 373 Show SLH678 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLH678 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U04159-1 Original site URL http://dict... producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( AU039970 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLG...865. 323 e-129 2 ( AU039381 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLH678. 3

Dicty_cDB: SSC836 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSC836 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - SSC836E (Link to Original s...ite) - - - - - - SSC836E 502 Show SSC836 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSC836 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/...t alignments: (bits) Value N M77492 |M77492.1 Dictyostelium discoideum glycoprotein phosphorylase 2 (glpD) g...ene, complete cds. 779 0.0 1 AC116984 |AC116984.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromo

Survival of the fattest

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morgani, Sophie M; Brickman, Joshua M

2013-01-01

Experiments on the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum show that the origins of lineage bias in this system lie in the nutritional history of individual cells. Clues to the molecular basis for this process suggest similar forces may be at work in early mammalian development.......Experiments on the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum show that the origins of lineage bias in this system lie in the nutritional history of individual cells. Clues to the molecular basis for this process suggest similar forces may be at work in early mammalian development....

A flavin-dependent halogenase catalyzes the chlorination step in the biosynthesis of Dictyostelium differentiation-inducing factor 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Christopher S; Walsh, Christopher T; Kay, Robert R

2010-03-30

Differentiation-inducing factor 1 (DIF-1) is a polyketide-derived morphogen which drives stalk cell formation in the developmental cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum. Previous experiments demonstrated that the biosynthetic pathway proceeds via dichlorination of the precursor molecule THPH, but the enzyme responsible for this transformation has eluded characterization. Our recent studies on prokaryotic flavin-dependent halogenases and insights from the sequenced Dd genome led us to a candidate gene for this transformation. In this work, we present in vivo and in vitro evidence that chlA from Dd encodes a flavin-dependent halogenase capable of catalyzing both chlorinations in the biosynthesis of DIF-1. The results provide in vitro characterization of a eukaryotic oxygen-dependent halogenase and demonstrate a broad reach in biology for this molecular tailoring strategy, notably its involvement in the differentiation program of a social amoeba.

A comparative sequence analysis reveals a common GBD/FH3-FH1-FH2-DAD architecture in formins from Dictyostelium, fungi and metazoa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uyeda Taro QP

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Formins are multidomain proteins defined by a conserved FH2 (formin homology 2 domain with actin nucleation activity preceded by a proline-rich FH1 (formin homology 1 domain. Formins act as profilin-modulated processive actin nucleators conserved throughout a wide range of eukaryotes. Results We present a detailed sequence analysis of the 10 formins (ForA to J identified in the genome of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. With the exception of ForI and ForC all other formins conform to the domain structure GBD/FH3-FH1-FH2-DAD, where DAD is the Diaphanous autoinhibition domain and GBD/FH3 is the Rho GTPase-binding domain/formin homology 3 domain that we propose to represent a single domain. ForC lacks a FH1 domain, ForI lacks recognizable GBD/FH3 and DAD domains and ForA, E and J have additional unique domains. To establish the relationship between formins of Dictyostelium and other organisms we constructed a phylogenetic tree based on the alignment of FH2 domains. Real-time PCR was used to study the expression pattern of formin genes. Expression of forC, D, I and J increased during transition to multi-cellular stages, while the rest of genes displayed less marked developmental variations. During sexual development, expression of forH and forI displayed a significant increase in fusion competent cells. Conclusion Our analysis allows some preliminary insight into the functionality of Dictyostelium formins: all isoforms might display actin nucleation activity and, with the exception of ForI, might also be susceptible to autoinhibition and to regulation by Rho GTPases. The architecture GBD/FH3-FH1-FH2-DAD appears common to almost all Dictyostelium, fungal and metazoan formins, for which we propose the denomination of conventional formins, and implies a common regulatory mechanism.

A comparative sequence analysis reveals a common GBD/FH3-FH1-FH2-DAD architecture in formins from Dictyostelium, fungi and metazoa.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivero, Francisco; Muramoto, Tetsuya; Meyer, Ann-Kathrin; Urushihara, Hideko; Uyeda, Taro Q P; Kitayama, Chikako

2005-03-01

Formins are multidomain proteins defined by a conserved FH2 (formin homology 2) domain with actin nucleation activity preceded by a proline-rich FH1 (formin homology 1) domain. Formins act as profilin-modulated processive actin nucleators conserved throughout a wide range of eukaryotes. We present a detailed sequence analysis of the 10 formins (ForA to J) identified in the genome of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. With the exception of ForI and ForC all other formins conform to the domain structure GBD/FH3-FH1-FH2-DAD, where DAD is the Diaphanous autoinhibition domain and GBD/FH3 is the Rho GTPase-binding domain/formin homology 3 domain that we propose to represent a single domain. ForC lacks a FH1 domain, ForI lacks recognizable GBD/FH3 and DAD domains and ForA, E and J have additional unique domains. To establish the relationship between formins of Dictyostelium and other organisms we constructed a phylogenetic tree based on the alignment of FH2 domains. Real-time PCR was used to study the expression pattern of formin genes. Expression of forC, D, I and J increased during transition to multi-cellular stages, while the rest of genes displayed less marked developmental variations. During sexual development, expression of forH and forI displayed a significant increase in fusion competent cells. Our analysis allows some preliminary insight into the functionality of Dictyostelium formins: all isoforms might display actin nucleation activity and, with the exception of ForI, might also be susceptible to autoinhibition and to regulation by Rho GTPases. The architecture GBD/FH3-FH1-FH2-DAD appears common to almost all Dictyostelium, fungal and metazoan formins, for which we propose the denomination of conventional formins, and implies a common regulatory mechanism.

Dicty_cDB: SSB373 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSB373 (Link to dictyBase) - G00609 DDB0216216 Contig-U04543-1...nk to library) Clone ID SSB373 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID G00609 dictyBase ID DDB0216216 Link to... Contig Contig-U04543-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/...Value N AB016728 |AB016728.1 Dictyostelium discoideum sapA mRNA for saposin A, co... 44 7e-04 12 AC116330 |AC116330.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 3191214-3323468 strain AX4, comp

Dicty_cDB: CFE853 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFE853 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 CFE853F (Link... to Original site) CFE853F 109 - - - - - - Show CFE853 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFE853 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dict...uences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X51892 |X51892.1 Dictyost...elium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 80 6e-21 2 X52105 |X52105.1 Dictyostelium discoideum SP60

Dicty_cDB: CFH668 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFH668 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U13860-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) - - CFH668Z 651 - - - - Show CFH668 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFH668 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U13860-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...s) Value N AC116987 |AC116987.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 3527441-3568052 strain AX4, comple...te sequence. 58 1e-11 6 AC116305 |AC116305.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome

Dicty_cDB: AFL826 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AF (Link to library) AFL826 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - AFL826P (Link to Original s...ite) AFL826F 588 AFL826Z 766 AFL826P 1334 - - Show AFL826 Library AF (Link to library) Clone ID AFL826 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.t... Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( BJ346543 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cD...NA clone:dda24d08, 3' ... 1100 0.0 1 ( BJ341682 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA c

Dicty_cDB: AFK740 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AF (Link to library) AFK740 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 AFK740F (Link... to Original site) AFK740F 107 - - - - - - Show AFK740 Library AF (Link to library) Clone ID AFK740 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dict...es producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X51892 |X51892.1 Dictyosteliu...m discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 80 6e-21 2 X52105 |X52105.1 Dictyostelium discoideum SP60 gen

Dicty_cDB: SLF689 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLF689 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16284-1 SLF689Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLF689Z 320 - - - - Show SLF689 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLF689 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16284-1 Original site URL http://dict...DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( AC116305 ) Dictyostelium discoideum... chromosome 2 map 1005175... 478 e-131 1 ( AU053477 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLI726. 478 e-131 1 ( AU053102 ) Dict

Dicty_cDB: CFH744 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFH744 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) CFH744F 118 - - - - - - Show CFH744 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFH744 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...ng significant alignments: (bits) Value N X51892 |X51892.1 Dictyostelium discoide...um SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 80 1e-23 3 AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 m

Dicty_cDB: VHI285 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHI285 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16073-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) VHI285F 136 - - - - - - Show VHI285 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHI285 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16073-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b... DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( BJ423035 ) Dict...yostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv47i22, 5' ... 72 2e-27 3 ( BJ419916 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cD

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC154 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16363-1 VFC154Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFC154Z 551 - - - - Show VFC154 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC154 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16363-1 Original site URL http://dict...s: (bits) Value N U82513 |U82513.1 Dictyostelium discoideum random slug cDNA25 protein (rsc25) mRNA, partial...producing significant alignments: (bits) Value U82513_1( U82513 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum random s

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB614 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB614Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFB614Z 219 - - - - Show VFB614 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB614 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Original site URL http://dict...ments: (bits) Value N AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 ...tin mRNA ITL-1, 3' end. 339 9e-90 1 AC116986 |AC116986.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2234041-2

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC129 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16543-1 VFC129F (Link... to Original site) VFC129F 276 - - - - - - Show VFC129 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC129 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16543-1 Original site URL http://dict... vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N M91382 |M91382.1 Dictyostelium di...scoideum thioredoxin (TRX2) mRNA, 5' end. 281 2e-96 3 M91384 |M91384.1 Dictyostelium discoideum thioredoxin

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC191 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16281-1 VFC191F (Link... to Original site) VFC191F 350 - - - - - - Show VFC191 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC191 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16281-1 Original site URL http://dict...ts) Value N AC116305 |AC116305.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 1005175-1418323 strain AX4, compl... 186 3e-46 AC116305_8( AC116305 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosom...

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB662 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15118-1 VFB662E (Link...) Clone ID VFB662 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15118-1 Ori... significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF039211 |AF039211.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ADP/ATP translocase mR...NA, complete cds. 1011 0.0 2 AF100676 |AF100676.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ADP/ATP translocase gene, complet...drial 4.0 %: extracellular, including cell wall 4.0 %: vacuolar 4.0 %: vesicles of secretory system >> predict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB843 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15729-1 VFB843F (Link... to Original site) VFB843F 566 - - - - - - Show VFB843 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB843 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15729-1 Original site URL http://dict...roducing significant alignments: (bits) Value N U64830 |U64830.1 Dictyostelium discoideum AX2 protein tyrosi...ne kinase gene, complete cds. 1114 0.0 1 U01064 |U01064.1 Dictyostelium discoideum AX2 protein tyrosine kina

An unusual protein kinase phosphorylates the chemotactic receptor of Dictystelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, K.; Klein, C.

1988-01-01

The authors report the cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of the chemotactic receptor of Dictyostelium discoideum in partially purified plasma membranes. The protein kinase responsible for receptor phosphorylation is associated with this fraction and preferentially phosphorylates the ligand-occupied form of the receptor. 8-Azido[ 32 P]cAMP labeling of the cell surface has shown that the cAMP receptor exists in two forms. A 45-kDa protein is predominant on unstimulated cells. cAMP stimulation results in an increased receptor phosphorylation such that the receptor migrates on NaDodSO 4 /PAGE as a 47-kDa protein. Phosphorylation of the chemotactic receptor is not detected in membrane preparations unless cAMP is added to the incubation mixture. Only under those conditions is the phosphorylated 47-kDa form observed. The requirement for cAMP reflects the fact that the kinase involved preferentially uses the ligand-occupied receptor as a substrate. In vitro phosphorylation of the receptor does not involve tyrosine residues. The enzyme does not appear to be a cAMP- or cGMP-dependent protein kinase nor is it sensitive to guanine nucleotides, Ca 2+ /calmodulin, Ca 2+ /phospholipid, or EGTA. Similarities with the β-adrenergic receptor protein kinase are discussed

Activation of G-proteins by receptor-stimulated nucleoside diphosphate kinase in Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Bominaar, A A; Molijn, A C; Pestel, M; Veron, M; Van Haastert, P J

1993-01-01

Recently, interest in the enzyme nucleoside diphosphate kinase (EC2.7.4.6) has increased as a result of its possible involvement in cell proliferation and development. Since NDP kinase is one of the major sources of GTP in cells, it has been suggested that the effects of an altered NDP kinase activity on cellular processes might be the result of altered transmembrane signal transduction via guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins). In the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum, extracellular cAMP induces an increase of phospholipase C activity via a surface cAMP receptor and G-proteins. In this paper it is demonstrated that part of the cellular NDP kinase is associated with the membrane and stimulated by cell surface cAMP receptors. The GTP produced by the action of NDP kinase is capable of activating G-proteins as monitored by altered G-protein-receptor interaction and the activation of the effector enzyme phospholipase C. Furthermore, specific monoclonal antibodies inhibit the effect of NDP kinase on G-protein activation. These results suggest that receptor-stimulated NDP kinase contributes to the mediation of hormone action by producing GTP for the activation of GTP-binding proteins. Images PMID:8389692

Three-dimensional structure of a glycosylated cell surface antigen from D. discoideum: a primordial adhesion motif

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mabbutt, B.C.; Swarbrick, J.; Cubeddu, L.; Hill, A.

1999-01-01

Full text: We have determined the solution structure of pre-spore specific antigen (PsA), a predominant cell surface glycoprotein from the slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum. The structure and function of this protein suggests that it serves as a molecular signal for multicellular organisation, and that it may also be an adhesion motif mediating direct cell-cell contact. PsA consists of a 90-residue N-terminal globular domain tethered to the cell membrane via a heavily O-glycosylated stalk and a GPI anchor. No homologous sequences have been identified for the N-terminal domain. At Macquarie University, the D. discoideum organism has been well developed as a eukaryotic expression host for glycosylated proteins. For NMR, we have engineered a soluble form of PsA (residues 1-122) containing the globular 'head' and the glycopeptide linker. 15 N- and 15 N/ 13 C-labelled PsA was generated in this organism via a protocol that is readily adaptable for the cost-effective production of milligram quantities of other isotopically labelled recombinant proteins. Using 3D heteronuclear NMR, we have solved the three-dimensional structure of the PsA glycoprotein. It defines an eight stranded β-sandwich of five-on-three topology in a unique arrangement. A long loop is constrained by a cis proline residue and a disulphide bond to form an opening across one end of the sandwich, exposing portions of the hydrophobic interior. We postulate that this distortion of the sandwich fold structures a binding site. Structural and dynamics information was also obtained concerning the intact glycopeptide linker of the protein, which comprises a repeating P-T-V-T motif. In our recombinant form, each Thr residue is modified by a single GlcNAc sugar. This simple structure yields interpretable NMR spectra, which show the glycosylated linker to be in extended conformation, and undergoing distinctly different mobility from the globular domain. These same sugar residues provide an ideal attachment

Dicty_cDB: FC-IC0102 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available FC-IC (Link to library) FC-IC0102 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16527-1 FC-IC01...02F (Link to Original site) FC-IC0102F 434 - - - - - - Show FC-IC0102 Library FC-IC (Link to library) Clone ...ID FC-IC0102 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16527-1 Original site URL http://dict... (bits) Value N AB088483 |AB088483.1 Dictyostelium discoideum gene for gamete and mating-type specific prote...oducing significant alignments: (bits) Value AB088483_1( AB088483 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum gmsA g

Dicty_cDB: SSC474 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSC474 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U07719-1 SSC474P (Link... to Original site) SSC474F 368 SSC474Z 238 SSC474P 606 - - Show SSC474 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSC474 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U07719-1 Original site URL http://dict...logy vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( AU071762 ) Dictyostelium di...scoideum slug cDNA, clone SSC474. 448 e-121 1 ( AU060185 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLA535.

Dicty_cDB: VSH207 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VS (Link to library) VSH207 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U12548-1 VSH207P (Link... to Original site) VSH207F 228 VSH207Z 107 VSH207P 335 - - Show VSH207 Library VS (Link to library) Clone ID VSH207 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U12548-1 Original site URL http://dict...ents: (bits) Value N ( AU267072 ) Dictyostelium discoideum vegetative cDNA clone:VS... 206 2e-58 2 ( AC116982 ) Dict...yostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 3622643... 206 4e-49 1 ( AU267073 ) Dict

Dicty_cDB: VHK278 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHK278 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 - (Link to Original site) VHK2...78F 533 - - - - - - Show VHK278 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHK278 (Link to dicty...iol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VH/VHK2-D/VHK278Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID - (Link to ...Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VHK278 (VHK278Q) /CSM/VH/VHK2-D/VHK278Q.Seq.d/ AACTCTCGAGTGCAAAA...BJ427875 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k24, 5' ... 997 0.0 1 ( BJ427874 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k2

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB489 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB489P (Link... to Original site) VFB489F 178 VFB489Z 501 VFB489P 679 - - Show VFB489 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB489 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Original site URL http://dict...: (bits) Value N AC116986 |AC116986.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2...e cds. 783 0.0 3 AC115579 |AC115579.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4915084-5005461 strain AX4,

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB788 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U14924-1 VFB788P (Link... to Original site) VFB788F 158 VFB788Z 768 VFB788P 926 - - Show VFB788 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB788 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U14924-1 Original site URL http://dict... (bits) Value N AC115592 |AC115592.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 1-...2_6( AC115592 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosom... 520 e-146 CU459003_2449( CU459003 |pid:none)

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC101 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16544-1 VFC101Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFC101Z 556 - - - - Show VFC101 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC101 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16544-1 Original site URL http://dict...t alignments: (bits) Value N AY164994 |AY164994.1 Dictyostelium discoideum RTNLC (RTNLC) mRNA, complete cds.... 969 0.0 2 AY164656 |AY164656.1 Dictyostelium discoideum RTNLC (RTNLC) gene, complete cds. 565 0.0 3 AL71386

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB645 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB645P (Link... to Original site) VFB645F 619 VFB645Z 413 VFB645P 1032 - - Show VFB645 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB645 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Original site URL http://dict...mology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X03281 |X03281.1 Dictyostel...ium discoideum gene for actin A8. 1174 0.0 2 AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC187 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U12289-1 VFC187P (Link... to Original site) VFC187F 411 VFC187Z 678 VFC187P 1089 - - Show VFC187 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC187 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U12289-1 Original site URL http://dict... N AC117176 |AC117176.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 5018074-5200947... strain AX4, complete sequence. 36 0.008 12 AC114263 |AC114263.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB837 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U14985-1 VFB837P (Link... to Original site) VFB837F 606 VFB837Z 689 VFB837P 1295 - - Show VFB837 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB837 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U14985-1 Original site URL http://dict... 13 AC116986 |AC116986.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2234041-256737...0 strain AX4, complete sequence. 38 2e-05 15 AC116984 |AC116984.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB733 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16279-1 VFB733P (Link... to Original site) VFB733F 608 VFB733Z 663 VFB733P 1271 - - Show VFB733 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB733 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16279-1 Original site URL http://dict...es producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N U23957 |U23957.1 Dictyostelium discoideum P52D mRNA, com...15 e-114 U23957_1( U23957 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum P52D mRNA, co... 41

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB862 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16311-1 VFB862P (Link... to Original site) VFB862F 624 VFB862Z 720 VFB862P 1344 - - Show VFB862 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB862 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16311-1 Original site URL http://dict...s) Value N U72746 |U72746.1 Dictyostelium discoideum cysteine proteinase (cprG) m...RNA, complete cds. 1209 0.0 5 U72745 |U72745.1 Dictyostelium discoideum cysteine proteinase (cprF) mRNA, com

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB769 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15456-1 VFB769P (Link... to Original site) VFB769F 625 VFB769Z 690 VFB769P 1315 - - Show VFB769 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB769 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15456-1 Original site URL http://dict...roducing significant alignments: (bits) Value N Y16962 |Y16962.1 Dictyostelium discoideum mRNA for cathepsin... D. 1257 0.0 3 AJ243946 |AJ243946.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ctsD gene for cathep

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB741 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB741P (Link... to Original site) VFB741F 545 VFB741Z 675 VFB741P 1220 - - Show VFB741 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB741 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Original site URL http://dict...bits) Value N X03281 |X03281.1 Dictyostelium discoideum gene for actin A8. 1166 0....0 2 AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 1685067-2090751 strain AX4, complete seq

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB829 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - VFB829Z (Link to Original s...ite) - - VFB829Z 600 - - - - Show VFB829 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB829 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/... long chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids. 1189 0.0 1 AB029311 |AB029311.1 Dictyostelium discoideum Dd des5 g...ene for fatty acid desaturase, complete cds. 823 0.0 2 AB022097 |AB022097.1 Dictyostelium discoideum mRNA fo

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB710 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB710P (Link... to Original site) VFB710F 123 VFB710Z 689 VFB710P 812 - - Show VFB710 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB710 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Original site URL http://dict... significant alignments: (bits) Value N X03281 |X03281.1 Dictyostelium discoideum... gene for actin A8. 1308 0.0 2 AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 1685067-209075

Dicty_cDB: SLC455 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLC455 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16584-1 SLC455Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLC455Z 379 - - - - Show SLC455 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLC455 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLC4-C/SLC455Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLC45...5Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLC455 (SLC455Q) /CSM/SL/SLC4-C/SLC455Q.Seq.d/ XXXXX...57 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLC469. 468 e-177 3 ( AU034549 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLC4

EDTA treatment alters protein glycosylation in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, C.M.; Brownstein, S.A.

1988-01-01

The authors have found that treatment of cells with EDTA resulted in the accumulation of lower molecular weight forms of two cell-type-specific glycoproteins. These new glycoproteins lacked a developmentally regulated glycoantigen defined by monoclonal antibody 54.2. Since EDTA dissociated the cells, the possible involvement of cell separation was tested by immobilizing cells in soft agarose. Glycoantigen expression on these proteins was found to be dependent on cAMP and high oxygen tension but not on cell contact, and was reversibly sensitive to EDTA regardless of the state of cell association. The EDTA effect was mimicked by other soluble, but not particulate, membrane impermeable chelators, could be completed by Zn 2+ better than Mg 2+ , and appeared to involve an intracellular mechanism. Studies with [ 14 C]EDTA showed that EDTA equilibrated with a cellular compartment in a temperature-dependent, Zn 2+ -insensitive fashion with half-time kinetics of loading and unloading of 30-40 min. The data suggest that this step in glycosylation, which was found to be delayed 1 or more hours subsequent to protein synthesis, involves an intracellular, transition metal-ion-dependent process which can be modulated by chelators entering the cell through the endocytic pathway

The amoebal MAP kinase response to Legionella pneumophila is regulated by DupA.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiru; Dugan, Aisling S; Bloomfield, Gareth; Skelton, Jason; Ivens, Alasdair; Losick, Vicki; Isberg, Ralph R

2009-09-17

The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum can support replication of Legionella pneumophila. Here we identify the dupA gene, encoding a putative tyrosine kinase/dual-specificity phosphatase, in a screen for D. discoideum mutants altered in allowing L. pneumophila intracellular replication. Inactivation of dupA resulted in depressed L. pneumophila growth and sustained hyperphosphorylation of the amoebal MAP kinase ERK1, consistent with loss of a phosphatase activity. Bacterial challenge of wild-type amoebae induced dupA expression and resulted in transiently increased ERK1 phosphorylation, suggesting that dupA and ERK1 are part of a response to bacteria. Indeed, over 500 of the genes misregulated in the dupA(-) mutant were regulated in response to L. pneumophila infection, including some thought to have immune-like functions. MAP kinase phosphatases are known to be highly upregulated in macrophages challenged with L. pneumophila. Thus, DupA may regulate a MAP kinase response to bacteria that is conserved from amoebae to mammals.

Dicty_cDB: SLE172 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available d/ 1126 0.0 VHJ195 (VHJ195Q) /CSM/VH/VHJ1-D/VHJ195Q.Seq.d/ 1102 0.0 SLD492 (SLD492Q) /CSM/SL/SLD4-D/SLD492... 0.0 1 ( AU052538 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLD492. 817 0.0 1 ( C83939 ) Dictyostelium dis

Selfish DNA: a pharmaceutical perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Winckler, T

2013-07-01

Almost 25 years ago, Theo Dingermann published the discovery of a new mobile genetic element in the unicellular microbe Dictyostelium discoideum in the journal Science. An interesting property of this new molecular parasite, the Dictyostelium Repetitive Element (DRE), was that all integrations were found approximately 50 base pairs (bp) upstream of transfer RNA (tRNA) genes in the D. discoideum genome, thus implying an active targeting mechanism to avoid the disruption of host cell genes by the retrotransposition process. Since then, the facultative multicellular "social amoeba" D. discoideum has become a popular model for analyzing complex cellular functions such as cell movement, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and cell differentiation, important areas of biomedical research that are often hard to investigate in cells from "higher organisms" including humans. Therefore, progress in the development of methods to study Dictyostelium biology has also provoked research on transposable elements in this organism. Early work on the DRE element suggested that studying its molecular mechanism of site-specific integration might promote human gene therapy technology through the design of integrating gene transfer vectors with low intrinsic genotoxic potential. In this review article, I will briefly review the original research performed on the DRE transposable element in the Dingermann lab and report on how the emergence of genomics technologies and the development of tools to analyze de novo retrotransposition events in D. discoideum cells will expand our knowledge of DRE biology in the future.

Dicty_cDB: CFH244 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFH244 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 CFH244F (Link... to Original site) CFH244F 124 - - - - - - Show CFH244 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFH244 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dict...ts) Value N AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4718821-4752388 strain AX4, compl...ete sequence. 82 2e-29 3 X51892 |X51892.1 Dictyostelium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 82 4e-29 2 X52105 |X52105.1 Dict

Dicty_cDB: SLB690 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available r Dp87... 45 9e-04 AC117267_7( AC117267 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosom... 40 0.037 AY574051_1( AY574051 |pid:none) Ict...SL (Link to library) SLB690 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16325-1 SLB690Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLB690Z 481 - - - - Show SLB690 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLB690 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16325-1 Original site URL http://dict...t alignments: (bits) Value N ( AF066071 ) Dictyostelium discoideum SP85 (pspB) gene, comple... 831 0.0 1 ( AC117075 ) Dict

Dicty_cDB: CHD405 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CH (Link to library) CHD405 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15984-1 CHD405E (Link... Clone ID CHD405 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15984-1 Original site URL http://dict...ts) Value N AC115599 |AC115599.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 422909...8-4354721 strain AX4, complete sequence. 42 3e-11 9 AC115598 |AC115598.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome... 2 map 581427-735498 strain AX4, complete sequence. 50 4e-11 11 CK417372 |CK417372.1 AUF_IpInt_56_d19 Intestine cDNA library Ict

Dicty_cDB: CFH809 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFH809 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) CFH809F 135 - - - - - - Show CFH809 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFH809 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...ce. 82 2e-29 3 X51892 |X51892.1 Dictyostelium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 82 5e-29 2 X52105 |X52105.1 Dict...yostelium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 80 9e-27 2 AC116977 |AC116977.2 Dict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC138 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15456-1 VFC138P (Link... to Original site) VFC138F 411 VFC138Z 440 VFC138P 851 - - Show VFC138 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC138 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15456-1 Original site URL http://dict...ducing significant alignments: (bits) Value N Y16962 |Y16962.1 Dictyostelium discoideum mRNA for cathepsin D.... 815 0.0 4 AJ243946 |AJ243946.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ctsD gene for cathepsin D, exons 1 to 2. 815 0.0 5

Autonomous and nonautonomous regulation of axis formation by antagonistic signaling via 7-span cAMP receptors and GSK3 in Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsburg, G T; Kimmel, A R

1997-08-15

Early during Dictyostelium development a fundamental cell-fate decision establishes the anteroposterior (prestalk/prespore) axis. Signaling via the 7-transmembrane cAMP receptor CAR4 is essential for creating and maintaining a normal pattern; car4-null alleles have decreased levels of prestalk-specific mRNAs but enhanced expression of prespore genes. car4- cells produce all of the signals required for prestalk differentiation but lack an extracellular factor necessary for prespore differentiation of wild-type cells. This secreted factor decreases the sensitivity of prespore cells to inhibition by the prestalk morphogen DIF-1. At the cell autonomous level, CAR4 is linked to intracellular circuits that activate prestalk but inhibit prespore differentiation. The autonomous action of CAR4 is antagonistic to the positive intracellular signals mediated by another cAMP receptor, CAR1 and/or CAR3. Additional data indicate that these CAR-mediated pathways converge at the serine/threonine protein kinase GSK3, suggesting that the anterior (prestalk)/posterior (prespore) axis of Dictyostelium is regulated by an ancient mechanism that is shared by the Wnt/Fz circuits for dorsoventral patterning during early Xenopus development and establishing Drosophila segment polarity.

PsB multiprotein complex of Dictyostelium discoideum. Demonstration of cellulose binding activity and order of protein subunit assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, V; Alexander, S

1996-06-14

The differentiated spores of Dictyostelium are surrounded by an extracellular matrix, the spore coat, which protects them from environmental factors allowing them to remain viable for extended periods of time. This presumably is a major evolutionary advantage. This unique extracellular matrix is composed of cellulose and glycoproteins. Previous work has shown that some of these spore coat glycoproteins exist as a preassembled multiprotein complex (the PsB multiprotein complex) which is stored in the prespore vesicles (Watson, N., McGuire, V., and Alexander, S (1994) J. Cell Sci. 107, 2567-2579). Later in development, the complex is synchronously secreted from the prespore vesicles and incorporated into the spore coat. We now have shown that the PsB complex has a specific in vitro cellulose binding activity. The analysis of mutants lacking individual subunits of the PsB complex revealed the relative order of assembly of the subunit proteins and demonstrated that the protein subunits must be assembled for cellulose binding activity. These results provide a biochemical explanation for the localization of this multiprotein complex in the spore coat.

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

A model for cell type localization in the migrating slug of Dictyostelium discoideum based on differential ... a progressive maturation of chemotactic properties during the transdifferentiation of slug cell types. ... Journal of Biosciences | News ...

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U16423-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 65776 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddc36f16, 5' ... 74 3e-22 2 ( FG288312 ) 1108793266221 New World... 4e-19 3 ( FI057728 ) CHO_OF6610xh18r1.ab1 CHO_OF6 Nicotiana tabacum ge... 64 6e-19 3 ( FG286148 ) 1108770713996 New World...9c24,... 90 7e-18 3 ( CJ411606 ) Molgula tectiformis cDNA, larva clone:mtlv010d03,... 90 7e-18 3 ( FG288831 ) 1108793284713 New World...e-13 2 ( FG299437 ) 1108793335742 New World Screwworm Larvae 9387 EST... 80 2e-13 2 ( DV613229 ) EST1216225 ...BJ379331 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddc34c13, 3' ... 90 5e-13 1 ( FG300027 ) 1108793358668 New World

Evidence for nucleolar subcompartments in Dictyostelium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catalano, Andrew; O’Day, Danton H.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Two nucleolar subcompartments (NoSC1, NoSC2) were found in Dictyostelium. • Specific nucleolar proteins localize to different nucleolar subcompartments. • Specific proteins exit NoSC1 and NoSC2 differently upon Actinomycin D treatment. • KRKR appears to function as an NoSC2 nucleolar subcompartment localization signal. - Abstract: The nucleolus is a multifunctional nuclear compartment usually consisting of two to three subcompartments which represent stages of ribosomal biogenesis. It is linked to several human diseases including viral infections, cancer, and neurodegeneration. Dictyostelium is a model eukaryote for the study of fundamental biological processes as well as several human diseases however comparatively little is known about its nucleolus. Unlike most nucleoli it does not possess visible subcompartments at the ultrastructural level. Several recently identified nucleolar proteins in Dictyostelium leave the nucleolus after treatment with the rDNA transcription inhibitor actinomycin-D (AM-D). Different proteins exit in different ways, suggesting that previously unidentified nucleolar subcompartments may exist. The identification of nucleolar subcompartments would help to better understand the nucleolus in this model eukaryote. Here, we show that Dictyostelium nucleolar proteins nucleomorphin isoform NumA1 and Bud31 localize throughout the entire nucleolus while calcium-binding protein 4a localizes to only a portion, representing nucleolar subcompartment 1 (NoSC1). SWI/SNF complex member Snf12 localizes to a smaller area within NoSC1 representing a second nucleolar subcompartment, NoSC2. The nuclear/nucleolar localization signal KRKR from Snf12 localized GFP to NoSC2, and thus also appears to function as a nucleolar subcompartment localization signal. FhkA localizes to the nucleolar periphery displaying a similar pattern to that of Hsp32. Similarities between the redistribution patterns of Dictyostelium nucleolar proteins during

Evidence for nucleolar subcompartments in Dictyostelium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Catalano, Andrew, E-mail: acatalano@ccny.cuny.edu [Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd. N., Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6 (Canada); O’Day, Danton H., E-mail: danton.oday@utoronto.ca [Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd. N., Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6 (Canada); Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5 (Canada)

2015-01-24

Highlights: • Two nucleolar subcompartments (NoSC1, NoSC2) were found in Dictyostelium. • Specific nucleolar proteins localize to different nucleolar subcompartments. • Specific proteins exit NoSC1 and NoSC2 differently upon Actinomycin D treatment. • KRKR appears to function as an NoSC2 nucleolar subcompartment localization signal. - Abstract: The nucleolus is a multifunctional nuclear compartment usually consisting of two to three subcompartments which represent stages of ribosomal biogenesis. It is linked to several human diseases including viral infections, cancer, and neurodegeneration. Dictyostelium is a model eukaryote for the study of fundamental biological processes as well as several human diseases however comparatively little is known about its nucleolus. Unlike most nucleoli it does not possess visible subcompartments at the ultrastructural level. Several recently identified nucleolar proteins in Dictyostelium leave the nucleolus after treatment with the rDNA transcription inhibitor actinomycin-D (AM-D). Different proteins exit in different ways, suggesting that previously unidentified nucleolar subcompartments may exist. The identification of nucleolar subcompartments would help to better understand the nucleolus in this model eukaryote. Here, we show that Dictyostelium nucleolar proteins nucleomorphin isoform NumA1 and Bud31 localize throughout the entire nucleolus while calcium-binding protein 4a localizes to only a portion, representing nucleolar subcompartment 1 (NoSC1). SWI/SNF complex member Snf12 localizes to a smaller area within NoSC1 representing a second nucleolar subcompartment, NoSC2. The nuclear/nucleolar localization signal KRKR from Snf12 localized GFP to NoSC2, and thus also appears to function as a nucleolar subcompartment localization signal. FhkA localizes to the nucleolar periphery displaying a similar pattern to that of Hsp32. Similarities between the redistribution patterns of Dictyostelium nucleolar proteins during

Desynchronization of cells on the developmental path triggers the formation of spiral waves of cAMP during Dictyostelium aggregation

OpenAIRE

Lauzeral, Jacques; Halloy, José; Goldbeter, Albert

1997-01-01

Whereas it is relatively easy to account for the formation of concentric (target) waves of cAMP in the course of Dictyostelium discoideum aggregation after starvation, the origin of spiral waves remains obscure. We investigate a physiologically plausible mechanism for the spontaneous formation of spiral waves of cAMP in D. discoideum. The scenario relies on the developmental path associated with the continuous changes in the activity of enzymes such as adenylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase ...

Relevance of intracellular polarity to accuracy of eukaryotic chemotaxis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraiwa, Tetsuya; Nishikawa, Masatoshi; Shibata, Tatsuo; Nagamatsu, Akihiro; Akuzawa, Naohiro

2014-01-01

Eukaryotic chemotaxis is usually mediated by intracellular signals that tend to localize at the front or back of the cell. Such intracellular polarities frequently require no extracellular guidance cues, indicating that spontaneous polarization occurs in the signal network. Spontaneous polarization activity is considered relevant to the persistent motions in random cell migrations and chemotaxis. In this study, we propose a theoretical model that connects spontaneous intracellular polarity and motile ability in a chemoattractant solution. We demonstrate that the intracellular polarity can enhance the accuracy of chemotaxis. Chemotactic accuracy should also depend on chemoattractant concentration through the concentration-dependent correlation time in the polarity direction. Both the polarity correlation time and the chemotactic accuracy depend on the degree of responsiveness to the chemical gradient. We show that optimally accurate chemotaxis occurs at an intermediate responsiveness of intracellular polarity. Experimentally, we find that the persistence time of randomly migrating Dictyostelium cells depends on the chemoattractant concentration, as predicted by our theory. At the optimum responsiveness, this ameboid cell can enhance its chemotactic accuracy tenfold. (paper)

A model for cell type localization in the migrating slug of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

PRAKASH

. Localization of the three major cell types within the migrating slug stage is a dynamic process (Sternfeld 1992;. A model for cell type localization in the migrating slug of Dictyostelium discoideum based on differential chemotactic sensitivity to ...

Dicty_cDB: VHA340 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available _1( AY698035 |pid:none) Desmognathus marmoratus isolate 69... 33 5.9 AC116957_68( AC116957 |pid:none) Dictyo...stelium discoideum chromoso... 33 7.6 AY612344_1( AY612344 |pid:none) Desmognathus marmoratus voucher KH...

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U04690-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available scauevk mixed_tissue Sebastes... 34 9.9 2 >( AU071707 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SSC319. L... ( AP006852 ) Candida albicans genomic DNA, chromosome 7, compl... 32 9.3 2 ( GE799624 ) EST_scau_evk_888927

Dicty_cDB: VHI760 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 7( AC116551 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromoso... 79 3e-13 AJ575138_1( AJ575138 |pid:none) Sorda...ria macrospora app gene for a... 50 1e-04 BX571864_113( BX571864 |pid:none) Photorh

Chemotaxis in the cellular slime molds : I. The effect of temperature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Konijn, Theo M.

1965-01-01

The effect of temperature on chemotaxis in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum has been studied by incubating small populations of washed myxamoebae at different temperatures. Droplets containing a cell suspension of known density were deposited on a hydrophobic agar surface. The

Dicty_cDB: VHK596 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 34 4.7 AY698035_1( AY698035 |pid:none) Desmognathus marmoratus isolate 69... 33 6.1 AC116957_68( AC116957 |p...id:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromoso... 33 8.0 AY612344_1( AY612344 |pid:none) Desmognathus marmoratus

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U04404-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available lone:VS... 498 e-176 2 ( AU266939 ) Dictyostelium discoideum vegetative cDNA clone:VS... 68 5e-07 1 ( FG2946...24 ) 1108770716152 New World Screwworm Larvae 9387 EST... 42 0.027 2 ( CU469174 ) Pig DNA sequence *** SEQUE

Dicty_cDB: SSI186 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available daria macrospora app gene for a... 58 3e-07 BX571864_113... 25 k... 359 e-102 AC116551_17( AC116551 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromoso... 98 2e-19 AJ575138_1( AJ575138 |pid:none) Sor

TRE5-A retrotransposition profiling reveals putative RNA polymerase III transcription complex binding sites on the Dictyostelium extrachromosomal rDNA element.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Spaller

Full Text Available The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum has a haploid genome in which two thirds of the DNA encodes proteins. Consequently, the space available for selfish mobile elements to expand without excess damage to the host genome is limited. The non-long terminal repeat retrotransposon TRE5-A maintains an active population in the D. discoideum genome and apparently adapted to this gene-dense environment by targeting positions ~47 bp upstream of tRNA genes that are devoid of protein-coding regions. Because only ~24% of tRNA genes are associated with a TRE5-A element in the reference genome, we evaluated whether TRE5-A retrotransposition is limited to this subset of tRNA genes. We determined that a tagged TRE5-A element (TRE5-Absr integrated at 384 of 405 tRNA genes, suggesting that expansion of the current natural TRE5-A population is not limited by the availability of targets. We further observed that TRE5-Absr targets the ribosomal 5S gene on the multicopy extrachromosomal DNA element that carries the ribosomal RNA genes, indicating that TRE5-A integration may extend to the entire RNA polymerase III (Pol III transcriptome. We determined that both natural TRE5-A and cloned TRE5-Absr retrotranspose to locations on the extrachromosomal rDNA element that contain tRNA gene-typical A/B box promoter motifs without displaying any other tRNA gene context. Based on previous data suggesting that TRE5-A targets tRNA genes by locating Pol III transcription complexes, we propose that A/B box loci reflect Pol III transcription complex assembly sites that possess a function in the biology of the extrachromosomal rDNA element.

Fulltext PDF

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

SEARCHU

Molecular mechanisms underlying thermal adaptation of xeric animals. 489. Specific and unspecific responses of plants to cold and drought stress. 501. Adaptive ... Arachidonic Acid is a chemoattractant for Dictyostelium discoideum cells. 1281 .... Contribution of root to soil respiration and carbon balance in disturbed and ...

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

What history tells us XXXVII. ... Classification and expression analyses of homeobox genes from Dictyostelium discoideum .... TORC2 and eisosomes are spatially interdependent, requiring optimal level of phosphatidylinositol .... A sample of 14 schizophrenia patients and 14 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex and ...

Dicty_cDB: SSH868 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 5 k... 329 5e-89 AC116551_17( AC116551 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromoso... 95 2e-18 AJ575138_1( AJ575138 |pid:none) Sorda...ria macrospora app gene for a... 58 3e-07 BX571864_113(

Differential Role of Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase in D. discoideum growth and development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Begum Rasheedunnisa

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase is evolutionarily conserved as a responder to various forms of stress. Though PARP's role in cell death is well addressed, its role in development and multicellularity is still an enigma. We have previously reported the role of PARP in oxidative stress induced delayed development of D. discoideum. Results In the current study we highlight the involvement of PARP during D. discoideum development. Oxidative stress affects expression of aca and cAR1 thus affecting aggregation. Although parp expression is not affected during oxidative stress but it is involved during normal development as confirmed by our PARP down-regulation studies. Constitutive PARP down-regulation resulted in blocked development while no effect was observed on D. discoideum growth. Interestingly, stage specific PARP down-regulation arrested development at the slug stage. Conclusion These results emphasize that PARP is essential for complex differentiation and its function may be linked to multicellularity. This is the first report where the involvement of PARP during normal multicellular development in D. discoideum, an ancient eukaryote, is established which could be of evolutionary significance. Thus our study adds one more role to the multitasking function of PARP.

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U15153-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 42 ) Dictyostelium discoideum gamete cDNA, clone FC-AU21. 400 e-170 4 ( BV426376 ) S237P6125FG3.T0 Portugu...eseWaterDog Canis familiar... 52 0.020 1 ( AC068970 ) Homo sapiens BAC clone RP11-8

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U05076-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SSF125. 767 0.0 2 ( FG291554 ) 1108793348415 New World Screwworm E...CF-24-HW liver cDNA li... 48 0.34 1 ( FG284835 ) 1108770682807 New World Screwworm Egg 9261 ESTs C... 36 0.9

Dicty_cDB: CFG822 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 115581 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosom... 119 4e-26 BC077988_1( BC077988 |pid:none) Xenopus laevis achalasia...none) Homo sapiens mRNA for achalasia, a... 36 0.47 (Q9NRG9) RecName: Full=Aladin; AltName: Full=Adracalin;

Involvement of Sib Proteins in the Regulation of Cellular Adhesion in Dictyostelium discoideum▿ †

OpenAIRE

Cornillon, Sophie; Froquet, Romain; Cosson, Pierre

2008-01-01

Molecular mechanisms ensuring cellular adhesion have been studied in detail in Dictyostelium amoebae, but little is known about the regulation of cellular adhesion in these cells. Here, we show that cellular adhesion is regulated in Dictyostelium, notably by the concentration of a cellular secreted factor accumulating in the medium. This constitutes a quorum-sensing mechanism allowing coordinated regulation of cellular adhesion in a Dictyostelium population. In order to understand the mechani...

Dicty_cDB: SLD420 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLD420 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16325-1 SLD420E (Link... to Original site) - - - - - - SLD420E 434 Show SLD420 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLD420 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16325-1 Original site URL http://dict... 7 Homology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( AF066071 ) Dict...yostelium discoideum SP85 (pspB) gene, comple... 860 0.0 1 ( AC117075 ) Dictyostelium

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB585 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U09875-1 VFB585Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFB585Z 664 - - - - Show VFB585 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB585 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U09875-1 Original site URL http://dict...Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC116551 |AC116551.2 Dictyostelium discoi...ces producing significant alignments: (bits) Value AC116551_43( AC116551 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U15060-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 000227 |pid:none) Bacillus cereus Q1, complete ge... 114 3e-23 B83991( B83991 ) glycolate oxidase subunit BH2730 [imported...ana interm... 56 2e-15 5 ( AF211126 ) Carsonella ruddii natural-host Bactericera cocker....psnkfvpqrlfqq*fvf tiqrkln*vllgnqvkvl*vnsqvqwlksifitfvplisrmfvslslvskvqrrl*isie lqfsissprmlplv*vlllvklgpkkdmi... la... 1074 0.0 1 ( AB000109 ) Dictyostelium discoideum mitochondrial DNA, compl... 1074 0.0 1 ( BJ412759 ) Dictyosteli...7, 3' ... 731 0.0 1 ( DQ336395 ) Dictyostelium citrinum mitochondrion, complete ge... 456 0.0 3 ( BJ387435 ) Dictyosteli

BTG interacts with retinoblastoma to control cell fate in Dictyostelium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniele Conte

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In the genesis of many tissues, a phase of cell proliferation is followed by cell cycle exit and terminal differentiation. The latter two processes overlap: genes involved in the cessation of growth may also be important in triggering differentiation. Though conceptually distinct, they are often causally related and functional interactions between the cell cycle machinery and cell fate control networks are fundamental to coordinate growth and differentiation. A switch from proliferation to differentiation may also be important in the life cycle of single-celled organisms, and genes which arose as regulators of microbial differentiation may be conserved in higher organisms. Studies in microorganisms may thus contribute to understanding the molecular links between cell cycle machinery and the determination of cell fate choice networks. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we show that in the amoebozoan D. discoideum, an ortholog of the metazoan antiproliferative gene btg controls cell fate, and that this function is dependent on the presence of a second tumor suppressor ortholog, the retinoblastoma-like gene product. Specifically, we find that btg-overexpressing cells preferentially adopt a stalk cell (and, more particularly, an Anterior-Like Cell fate. No btg-dependent preference for ALC fate is observed in cells in which the retinoblastoma-like gene has been genetically inactivated. Dictyostelium btg is the only example of non-metazoan member of the BTG family characterized so far, suggesting that a genetic interaction between btg and Rb predated the divergence between dictyostelids and metazoa. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: While the requirement for retinoblastoma function for BTG antiproliferative activity in metazoans is known, an interaction of these genes in the control of cell fate has not been previously documented. Involvement of a single pathway in the control of mutually exclusive processes may have relevant implication in the

A Simple Retroelement Based Knock-Down System in Dictyostelium: Further Insights into RNA Interference Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, Michael; Meier, Doreen; Schuster, Isabelle; Nellen, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

We have previously shown that the most abundant Dictyostelium discoideum retroelement DIRS-1 is suppressed by RNAi mechanisms. Here we provide evidence that both inverted terminal repeats have strong promoter activity and that bidirectional expression apparently generates a substrate for Dicer. A cassette containing the inverted terminal repeats and a fragment of a gene of interest was sufficient to activate the RNAi response, resulting in the generation of ~21 nt siRNAs, a reduction of mRNA and protein expression of the respective endogene. Surprisingly, no transitivity was observed on the endogene. This was in contrast to previous observations, where endogenous siRNAs caused spreading on an artificial transgene. Knock-down was successful on seven target genes that we examined. In three cases a phenotypic analysis proved the efficiency of the approach. One of the target genes was apparently essential because no knock-out could be obtained; the RNAi mediated knock-down, however, resulted in a very slow growing culture indicating a still viable reduction of gene expression. ADVANTAGES OF THE DIRS-1–RNAI SYSTEM: The knock-down system required a short DNA fragment (~400 bp) of the target gene as an initial trigger. Further siRNAs were generated by RdRPs since we have shown some siRNAs with a 5'-triphosphate group. Extrachromosomal vectors facilitate the procedure and allowed for molecular and phenotypic analysis within one week. The system provides an efficient and rapid method to reduce protein levels including those of essential genes.

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U15582-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ) EST1120673 Aquilegia cDNA library Aquilegia formo... 36 0.36 3 ( AC115612 ) Dictyostelium discoideum chrom... cDNA clone ... 46 4.1 1 ( BX858993 ) AGENAE Rainbow trout normalized testis library (t... 46 4.1 1 ( BF0889...discoideum chromosome 2 map 2567470... 40 0.11 12 ( AL844509 ) Plasmodium falciparum chromosome 13. 38 0.15 17 ( EU016597 ) Unculture...EST1196545 Aquilegia cDNA library Aquilegia formo... 36 0.28 3 ( DT766291 ) EST1200140 Aquilegia cDNA libr...ary Aquilegia formo... 36 0.29 3 ( DT729293 ) EST1163143 Aquilegia cDNA library Aqu

Autonomous and non-autonomous traits mediate social cooperation ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2011-07-08

Jul 8, 2011 ... In the trishanku (triA−) mutant of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, aggregates are smaller than usual and the spore mass is located mid-way up the stalk, not at the apex. We have monitored aggregate territory size, spore allocation and fruiting body morphology in chimaeric groups of ...

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U01715-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 0 2 ( AC116924 ) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 6357117... 50 0.17 1 ( FG297596 ) 1108793288766 New World... Screwworm Larvae 9387 EST... 42 0.20 2 ( FG295480 ) 1108770732782 New World...57227 Global-Ocean-Sampling_GS-27-01-01-1... 38 0.71 2 ( FG297390 ) 1108793286096 New World

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U14279-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddc30k04, 5' ... 200 6e-48 1 ( EW967860 ) LS_13_N05_T7 Headlice composite...tobia irritans 1st Instar Larvae H... 42 3.5 1 ( EW966307 ) SFHL_01_A10_T7 Headlice composite library with a

Dicty_cDB: AFL289 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AF (Link to library) AFL289 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - AFL289F (Link to Original s...ite) AFL289F 123 - - - - - - Show AFL289 Library AF (Link to library) Clone ID AFL289 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/... E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X51892 |X51892.1 Dict...yostelium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 82 5e-29 2 X52105 |X52105.1 Dictyostelium discoideu

Loss of Cln3 impacts protein secretion in the social amoeba Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Robert J

2017-07-01

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), also referred to as Batten disease, is the most common form of childhood neurodegeneration. Mutations in CLN3 cause the most prevalent subtype of the disease, which manifests during early childhood and is currently untreatable. The precise function of the CLN3 protein is still not known, which has inhibited the development of targeted therapies. In the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, loss of the CLN3 homolog, Cln3, reduces adhesion during early development, which delays streaming and aggregation. The results of the present study indicate that this phenotype may be at least partly due to aberrant protein secretion in cln3 - cells. It is well-established that Cln3 localizes primarily to the contractile vacuole (CV) system in Dictyostelium, and to a lesser extent, compartments of the endocytic pathway. Intriguingly, the CV system has been linked to the secretion of proteins that do not contain a signal peptide for secretion (i.e., unconventional protein secretion). Proteins that do contain a signal peptide are secreted via a conventional mechanism involving the endoplasmic reticulum, transport through the Golgi, and secretion via vesicle release. In this study, Cln3 was observed to co-localize with the Golgi marker wheat germ agglutinin suggesting that Cln3 participates in both secretion mechanisms. Chimeras of wild-type (WT) and cln3 - cells displayed delayed streaming and aggregation, and interestingly, cln3 - cells starved in conditioned media (CM) harvested from starving WT cells showed near normal timing of streaming and aggregation suggesting aberrant protein secretion in Cln3-deficient cells. Based on these observations, LC-MS/MS was used to reveal the protein content of CM from starved cells (mass spectrometry data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD004897). A total of 450 proteins were detected in WT and cln3 - CM, of which 3 were absent in cln3 - CM. Moreover, 12 proteins that were present in

An evolutionarily significant unicellular strategy in response to starvation stress in Dictyostelium social amoebae [v1; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/3hg

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darja Dubravcic

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is widely studied for its multicellular development program as a response to starvation and constitutes a model of choice in microbial cooperation studies. Aggregates of up to 106 cells form fruiting bodies containing two cell types: (i dormant spores (~80% that can persist for months in the absence of nutrients, and (ii dead stalk cells (~20% that promote the dispersion of the spores towards nutrient-rich areas. It is often overlooked that not all cells aggregate upon starvation. Using a new quantitative approach based on time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and a low ratio of reporting cells, we have quantified this fraction of non-aggregating cells. In realistic starvation conditions, up to 15% of cells do not aggregate, which makes this third cell fate a significant component of the population-level response of social amoebae to starvation. Non-aggregating cells have an advantage over cells in aggregates since they resume growth earlier upon arrival of new nutrients, but have a shorter lifespan under prolonged starvation. We find that phenotypic heterogeneities linked to cell nutritional state bias the representation of cells in the aggregating vs. non-aggregating fractions, and thus regulate population partitioning. Next, we report that the fraction of non-aggregating cells depends on genetic factors that regulate the timing of starvation, signal sensing efficiency and aggregation efficiency. In addition, interactions between clones in mixtures of non-isogenic cells affect the partitioning of each clone into both fractions. We further test the evolutionary significance of the non-aggregating cell fraction. The partitioning of cells into aggregating and non-aggregating fractions is optimal in fluctuating environments with an unpredictable duration of starvation periods. D. discoideum thus constitutes a model system lying at the intersection of microbial cooperation and bet hedging, defining a new

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

pp 157-166 Articles. Ammonia differentially suppresses the cAMP chemotaxis of anterior-like cells and prestalk cells in Dictyostelium discoideum · Ira N Feit Erika J Medynski Michael J Rothrock · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF. A drop assay for chemotaxis to cAMP confirms that both anterior-like cells (ALC) and prestalk ...

Phospholipase Cδ regulates germination of Dictyostelium spores

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijken, Peter van; Haastert, Peter J.M. van

2001-01-01

Background: Many eukaryotes, including plants and fungi make spores that resist severe environmental stress. The micro-organism Dictyostelium contains a single phospholipase C gene (PLC); deletion of the gene has no effect on growth, cell movement and differentiation. In this report we show that PLC

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U16102-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 0 6 ( BJ408668 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:dds46g14, 3' ... 44 3.0 2 ( CV162186 ) CS_hyp_01d11_M13Reverse Blue crab hypoder...08_M13Reverse Blue crab hypodermis, nor... 42 3.6 2 ( AM474408 ) Vitis vinifera contig VV78X173370.5, whole

Eukaryotic cell flattening

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Albert; Westendorf, Christian; Erlenkamper, Christoph; Galland, Edouard; Franck, Carl; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Beta, Carsten

2010-03-01

Eukaryotic cell flattening is valuable for improving microscopic observations, ranging from bright field to total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. In this talk, we will discuss traditional overlay techniques, and more modern, microfluidic based flattening, which provides a greater level of control. We demonstrate these techniques on the social amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Dicty_cDB: SLA508 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available e-101 SLD569 (SLD569Q) /CSM/SL/SLD5-C/SLD569Q.Seq.d/ 250 1e-65 SLD492 (SLD492Q) /CSM/SL/SLD4-D/SLD492...oideum slug cDNA, clone SLD569. 250 2e-62 1 ( AU052538 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLD492. 7

Dispatch. Dictyostelium chemotaxis: fascism through the back door?

Science.gov (United States)

Insall, Robert

2003-04-29

Aggregating Dictyostelium cells secrete cyclic AMP to attract their neighbours by chemotaxis. It has now been shown that adenylyl cyclase is enriched in the rear of cells, and this localisation is required for normal aggregation.

Dicty_cDB: VFI685 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFI685 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16455-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) - - VFI685Z 189 - - - - Show VFI685 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFI685 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16455-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...ignments: (bits) Value N ( BJ432495 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv18i22, 3' ... 313 1e-81 1 ( X55...973 ) D. discoideum EF1-I gene for elongation factor 1 al... 305 3e-79 1 ( AU285051 ) Dict

Dicty_cDB: SLH294 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLH294 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16466-1 SLH294E (Link... to Original site) - - - - - - SLH294E 393 Show SLH294 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLH294 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLH2-D/SLH294Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLH29...4E (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLH294 (SLH294Q) /CSM/SL/SLH2-D/SLH294Q.Seq.d/ CGATA...stelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLH294. 666 0.0 1 ( AU034499 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone

Dicty_cDB: SLC433 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLC433 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16397-1 SLC433Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLC433Z 613 - - - - Show SLC433 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLC433 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLC4-B/SLC433Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLC43...3Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLC433 (SLC433Q) /CSM/SL/SLC4-B/SLC433Q.Seq.d/ XXXXX...tyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLH872. 1134 0.0 1 ( AU034279 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLC4

Three-dimensional single-particle tracking in live cells: news from the third dimension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupont, A; Wehnekamp, F; Katayama, Y; Lamb, D C; Gorelashvili, M; Schüller, V; Arcizet, D; Heinrich, D

2013-01-01

Single-particle tracking (SPT) is of growing importance in the biophysical community. It is used to investigate processes such as drug and gene delivery, viral uptake, intracellular trafficking or membrane-bound protein mobility. Traditionally, SPT is performed in two dimensions (2D) because of its technical simplicity. However, life occurs in three dimensions (3D) and many methods have been recently developed to track particles in 3D. Now, is the third dimension worth the effort? Here we investigate the differences between the 2D and 3D analyses of intracellular transport with the 3D development of a time-resolved mean square displacement (MSD) analysis introduced previously. The 3D trajectories, and the 2D projections, of fluorescent nanoparticles were obtained with an orbital tracking microscope in two different cell types: in Dictyostelium discoideum ameba and in adherent, more flattened HuH-7 human cells. As expected from the different 3D organization of both cells’ cytoskeletons, a third of the active transport was lost upon projection in the ameba whereas the identification of the active phases was barely affected in the HuH-7 cells. In both cell types, we found intracellular diffusion to be anisotropic and the diffusion coefficient values derived from the 2D analysis were therefore biased. (paper)

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB895 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U10164-1 VFB895P (Link... to Original site) VFB895F 578 VFB895Z 699 VFB895P 1277 - - Show VFB895 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB895 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U10164-1 Original site URL http://dict...ore E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC115604 |AC115604.2 Dictyostelium discoide...um chromosome 2 map 4354771-4414991 strain AX4, complete sequence. 42 5e-06 9 M18106 |M18106.1 Dictyostelium

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC254 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15456-1 VFC254P (Link... to Original site) VFC254F 509 VFC254Z 569 VFC254P 1078 - - Show VFC254 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC254 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15456-1 Original site URL http://dict...mology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N Y16962 |Y16962.1 Dictyostel...ium discoideum mRNA for cathepsin D. 910 0.0 3 AJ243946 |AJ243946.1 Dictyostelium

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB702 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U12284-1 VFB702P (Link... to Original site) VFB702F 478 VFB702Z 615 VFB702P 1093 - - Show VFB702 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB702 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U12284-1 Original site URL http://dict... N G65021 |G65021.1 DH0281 Dictyostelium discoideum ( P.Dear ) Dictyostelium disc...8.0 %: mitochondrial 4.0 %: vacuolar 4.0 %: Golgi >> prediction for VFB702 is nuc 5' end seq. ID VFB702F 5'

Dicty_cDB: SLC466 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLC466 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 SLC466Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLC466Z 427 - - - - Show SLC466 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLC466 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLC4-C/SLC466Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLC46...6Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLC466 (SLC466Q) /CSM/SL/SLC4-C/SLC466Q.Seq.d/ XXXXX... AU034556 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLC466. 176 2e-77 2 ( AU033496 ) Dictyostelium discoid

3' : 5'-Cyclic AMP-dependent 3'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mato, José M.; Krens, Frans A.; Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Konijn, Theo M.

1977-01-01

Suspensions of 3':5'-cyclic AMP (cAMP)-sensitive cells of Dictyostelium discoideum responded to a cAMP pulse with increased 3':5'-cyclic GMP (cGMP) levels. Under the assay conditions used (2 × 10^8 cells per ml in 10 mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.0) cAMP (5 × 10-8 M final concentration) increased cGMP

DupA: a key regulator of the amoebal MAP kinase response to Legionella pneumophila

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiru; Dugan, Aisling S.; Bloomfield, Gareth; Skelton, Jason; Ivens, Alasdair; Losick, Vicki; Isberg, Ralph R.

2009-01-01

SUMMARY The dupA gene, encoding a putative tyrosine kinase/dual specificity phosphatase (Dusp), was identified in a screen for Dictyostelium discoideum mutants altered in supporting Legionella pneumophila intracellular replication. The absence of dupA resulted in hyperphosphorylation of ERK1, consistent with the loss of a phosphatase activity, as well as degradation of ERK2. ERK1 hyperphosphorylation mimicked the response of this protein after bacterial challenge of wild type amoebae. Similar to Dusps in higher eukaryotic cells, the amoebal dupA gene was induced after bacterial contact, indicating a response of Dusps that is conserved from amoebae to mammals. A large set of genes was misregulated in the dupA− mutant that largely overlaps with genes responding to L. pneumophila infection. Some of the amoebal genes appear to be involved in a response similar to innate immunity in higher eukaryotes, indicating there was misregulation of a conserved response to bacteria. PMID:19748467

Characterization of two unusual guanylyl cyclases from Dictyostelium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roelofs, Jeroen; Haastert, Peter J.M. van

2002-01-01

Guanylyl cyclase A (GCA) and soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) encode GCs in Dictyostelium and have a topology similar to 12-transmembrane and soluble adenylyl cyclase, respectively. We demonstrate that all detectable GC activity is lost in a cell line in which both genes have been inactivated. Cell

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB595 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U09552-1 VFB595E (Link...) Clone ID VFB595 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U09552-1 Ori...KLLKSDNWISTCQNLIQEYEPQ IIAVVEGFMAPSELCQKIKFCSSSSSTNDFDFIGSSTTDCEICTFISGYAENFLEENKTL EDIIKVVDDFCKILPAAYKTDCVA...A: VEGSGECLVCEFISEKIVTYLEANQTETQILQYLDNDCKLLKSDNWISTCQNLIQEYEPQ IIAVVEGFMAPSELCQKIKFCSSSSSTNDFDFIGSSTTDCEICT... Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N U66367 |U66367.1 Dictyostelium discoideum SapA (

Dicty_cDB: VFH641 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFH641 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16151-1 VFH641E (Link... Clone ID VFH641 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16151-1 Original site URL http://dict...KLLGVQTQAKQTRATWKIVVGDGAGAVTFKLATNGGTTEGDFTTTLTSKVLS GSDPKEVGTYYMDVTVPTGTTCTGTNGICT...KLLGVQTQAKQTRATWKIVVGDGAGAVTFKLATNGGTTEGDFTTTLTSKVLS GSDPKEVGTYYMDVTVPTGTTCTGTNGICT...nificant alignments: (bits) Value N AC116984 |AC116984.2 Dictyostelium discoideum

Dicty_cDB: VHK202 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHK202 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 VHK202P (Link to Original site) VHK2...02F 618 VHK202Z 741 VHK202P 1339 - - Show VHK202 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHK2...e URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VH/VHK2-A/VHK202Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID VHK2...02P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VHK202 (VHK202Q) /CSM/VH/VHK2-A/VHK2...446805 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k21, 3' ... 1449 0.0 1 ( BJ446732 ) Dictyostelium discoide

Dicty_cDB: VHK254 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHK254 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 VHK254P (Link to Original site) VHK2...54F 616 VHK254Z 744 VHK254P 1340 - - Show VHK254 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHK2...e URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VH/VHK2-C/VHK254Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID VHK2...54P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VHK254 (VHK254Q) /CSM/VH/VHK2-C/VHK2...BJ446805 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k21, 3' ... 1455 0.0 1 ( BJ446732 ) Dictyostelium discoi

The putative bZIP transcription factor BzpN slows proliferation and functions in the regulation of cell density by autocrine signals in Dictyostelium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan E Phillips

Full Text Available The secreted proteins AprA and CfaD function as autocrine signals that inhibit cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum, thereby regulating cell numbers by a negative feedback mechanism. We report here that the putative basic leucine zipper transcription factor BzpN plays a role in the inhibition of proliferation by AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking BzpN proliferate more rapidly than wild-type cells but do not reach a higher stationary density. Recombinant AprA inhibits wild-type cell proliferation but does not inhibit the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Recombinant CfaD also inhibits wild-type cell proliferation, but promotes the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Overexpression of BzpN results in a reduced cell density at stationary phase, and this phenotype requires AprA, CfaD, and the kinase QkgA. Conditioned media from high-density cells stops the proliferation of wild-type but not bzpN(- cells and induces a nuclear localization of a BzpN-GFP fusion protein, though this localization does not require AprA or CfaD. Together, the data suggest that BzpN is necessary for some but not all of the effects of AprA and CfaD, and that BzpN may function downstream of AprA and CfaD in a signal transduction pathway that inhibits proliferation.

The Putative bZIP Transcripton Factor BzpN Slows Proliferation and Functions in the Regulation of Cell Density by Autocrine Signals in Dictyostelium

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Jonathan E.; Huang, Eryong; Shaulsky, Gad; Gomer, Richard H.

2011-01-01

The secreted proteins AprA and CfaD function as autocrine signals that inhibit cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum, thereby regulating cell numbers by a negative feedback mechanism. We report here that the putative basic leucine zipper transcription factor BzpN plays a role in the inhibition of proliferation by AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking BzpN proliferate more rapidly than wild-type cells but do not reach a higher stationary density. Recombinant AprA inhibits wild-type cell proliferation but does not inhibit the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Recombinant CfaD also inhibits wild-type cell proliferation, but promotes the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Overexpression of BzpN results in a reduced cell density at stationary phase, and this phenotype requires AprA, CfaD, and the kinase QkgA. Conditioned media from high-density cells stops the proliferation of wild-type but not bzpN− cells and induces a nuclear localization of a BzpN-GFP fusion protein, though this localization does not require AprA or CfaD. Together, the data suggest that BzpN is necessary for some but not all of the effects of AprA and CfaD, and that BzpN may function downstream of AprA and CfaD in a signal transduction pathway that inhibits proliferation. PMID:21760904

The putative bZIP transcription factor BzpN slows proliferation and functions in the regulation of cell density by autocrine signals in Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Jonathan E; Huang, Eryong; Shaulsky, Gad; Gomer, Richard H

2011-01-01

The secreted proteins AprA and CfaD function as autocrine signals that inhibit cell proliferation in Dictyostelium discoideum, thereby regulating cell numbers by a negative feedback mechanism. We report here that the putative basic leucine zipper transcription factor BzpN plays a role in the inhibition of proliferation by AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking BzpN proliferate more rapidly than wild-type cells but do not reach a higher stationary density. Recombinant AprA inhibits wild-type cell proliferation but does not inhibit the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Recombinant CfaD also inhibits wild-type cell proliferation, but promotes the proliferation of cells lacking BzpN. Overexpression of BzpN results in a reduced cell density at stationary phase, and this phenotype requires AprA, CfaD, and the kinase QkgA. Conditioned media from high-density cells stops the proliferation of wild-type but not bzpN(-) cells and induces a nuclear localization of a BzpN-GFP fusion protein, though this localization does not require AprA or CfaD. Together, the data suggest that BzpN is necessary for some but not all of the effects of AprA and CfaD, and that BzpN may function downstream of AprA and CfaD in a signal transduction pathway that inhibits proliferation.

A secreted factor represses cell proliferation in Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Brock, Debra A; Gomer, Richard H

2005-10-01

Many cells appear to secrete factors called chalones that limit their proliferation, but in most cases the factors have not been identified. We found that growing Dictyostelium cells secrete a 60 kDa protein called AprA for autocrine proliferation repressor. AprA has similarity to putative bacterial proteins of unknown function. Compared with wild-type cells, aprA-null cells proliferate faster, while AprA overexpressing cells proliferate slower. Growing wild-type cells secrete a factor that inhibits the proliferation of wild-type and aprA- cells; this activity is not secreted by aprA- cells. AprA purified by immunoprecipitation also slows the proliferation of wild-type and aprA- cells. Compared with wild type, there is a higher percentage of multinucleate cells in the aprA- population, and when starved, aprA- cells form abnormal structures that contain fewer spores. AprA may thus decrease the number of multinucleate cells and increase spore production. Together, the data suggest that AprA functions as part of a Dictyostelium chalone.

Biochemistry and genetics of inositol phosphate metabolism in Dictyostelium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

vanHaastert, PJM; van Dijken, P.

1997-01-01

Biochemical and genetic data on the metabolism of inositol phosphates in the microorganism Dictyostelium are combined in a scheme composed of in five subroutes. The first subroute is the inositol cycle as found in other organisms:inositol is incorporated into phospholipids that are hydrolysed by PLC

Dicty_cDB: CFG115 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFG115 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U03237-1 CFG115E (Link...) Clone ID CFG115 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U03237-1 Ori...k*NNMNGFLKSQLENKTNATTTTTTRYCNNDESCNDENLCTN EMCDPVIGCIYENISCDDDNGCTKDFCDPLTGCFHKRVVCDDNDKCTDNICNPETGTCSF RRRICT...TTTRYCNNDESCNDENLCTN EMCDPVIGCIYENISCDDDNGCTKDFCDPLTGCFHKRVVCDDNDKCTDNICNPETGTCSF RRRICTDNNDCTMDWCNQLTGECVYQ...ng significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC116984 |AC116984.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 256

Dicty_cDB: SHF448 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SH (Link to library) SHF448 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U11503-1 SHF448E (Link...) Clone ID SHF448 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U11503-1 Ori...quence qkkqfsl*iy*YMIRKSNNFSILFAIFLKIVFVVSAPLCPNSTILLNYNILTVYNSSEGC GFNNEPICTSLKD...mnvnlkimrigltqlxisyrfy Frame C: qkkqfsl*iy*YMIRKSNNFSILFAIFLKIVFVVSAPLCPNSTILLNYNILTVYNSSEGC GFNNEPICTSLKDAV...nts: (bits) Value N AC115680 |AC115680.3 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4915084-5005461 strain AX

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U04940-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available iscoideum chromosome 2 map 3622643... 32 0.081 12 ( GE806545 ) EST_scau_evk_971547 scauevk mixed_tissue Sebaste...s... 40 0.092 2 ( EW978238 ) EST_sras_evg_777463 srasevg mixed_tissue Sebastes... 40 0.093 2 ( EW984986 )... EST_sras_evg_777879 srasevg mixed_tissue Sebastes... 40 0.095 2 ( EW985351 ) EST..._sras_evg_778065 srasevg mixed_tissue Sebastes... 40 0.096 2 ( AC116305 ) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosom

Dicty_cDB: SFC123 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SF (Link to library) SFC123 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16368-1 SFC123E (Link...) Clone ID SFC123 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16368-1 Ori...CVPHHDGCGNIQCPWGHYCVNEHGKCRCVPHRPPPRPPVDQCRNQHCPH GYSCRVIKGCATCVRDARPPHNLCRGFGCPEGSHCEVLEKHPVCVRNHVPPHPPPPPQIC GSVNCGPGYICT...CRCVPHRPPPRPPVDQCRNQHCPH GYSCRVIKGCATCVRDARPPHNLCRGFGCPEGSHCEVLEKHPVCVRNHVPPHPPPPPQIC GSVNCGPGYICTIINGHPTCIR...(bits) Value N D13973 |D13973.1 Dictyostelium discoideum DNA for Dp87 protein, complete cds. 1643 0.0 5 BJ17

Dicty_cDB: FC-AM13 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available in (NS35) gene, complete cds. 52 0.006 1 AB022770 |AB022770.1 Human rotavirus mRNA for NSP2, complete cds. 5...9.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4229098-4354721 strain AX4, complete sequence. 34 0.004 7 X57944 |X57944.1 Human rotavi...rus segment 7 gp33 gene. 52 0.006 1 L04534 |L04534.1 Rotavirus non-structural prote

Mechanism of cAMP-induced H -efflux of Dictyostelium cells: a role ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

2.1 Culture conditions and induction of the development of D. discoideum. Strain Ax-2 was grown ..... the H+-entry pathway for passive leakage of protons. Thus, the formation of any .... Universal Academy Press) pp 3–13. Maeda Y, Inouye K ...

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U05033-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 35269 Global-Ocean-Sampling_GS-34-01-01-1... 48 0.13 2 ( EY497680 ) CBBP3693.rev CBBP Hirudo medicinalis her...maphrodit... 50 0.13 1 ( EY493998 ) CBBP19771.rev CBBP Hirudo medicinalis hermaph...rodi... 50 0.13 1 ( EY487045 ) CBBP15563.fwd CBBP Hirudo medicinalis hermaphrodi... 50 0.13 1 ( EY487044 ) C...BBP15563.rev CBBP Hirudo medicinalis hermaphrodi... 50 0.13 1 ( AC116305 ) Dictyostelium discoideum chromoso

Dicty_cDB: VHL427 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available d:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromoso... 33 7.5 AY698035_1( AY698035 |pid:none) Desmognathus marmoratus ...isolate 69... 33 7.5 AY612348_1( AY612348 |pid:none) Desmognathus quadramaculatus vouch... 33 9.8 AY698038_1...( AY698038 |pid:none) Desmognathus marmoratus isolate T0... 33 9.8 AY612344_1( AY612344 |pid:none) Desmog...nathus marmoratus voucher KH... 33 9.8 AY698041_1( AY698041 |pid:none) Desmognathus

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB676 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U12091-1 VFB676E (Link...) Clone ID VFB676 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U12091-1 Ori...NA, complete cds. 2155 0.0 1 U66525 |U66525.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ORFveg114 ...toplasmic 16.0 %: mitochondrial 4.0 %: cytoskeletal 4.0 %: vesicles of secretory system >> prediction for VF

dictyBase 2015: Expanding data and annotations in a new software environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Siddhartha; Fey, Petra; Jimenez-Morales, David; Dodson, Robert J; Chisholm, Rex L

2015-08-01

dictyBase is the model organism database for the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and related species. The primary mission of dictyBase is to provide the biomedical research community with well-integrated high quality data, and tools that enable original research. Data presented at dictyBase is obtained from sequencing centers, groups performing high throughput experiments such as large-scale mutagenesis studies, and RNAseq data, as well as a growing number of manually added functional gene annotations from the published literature, including Gene Ontology, strain, and phenotype annotations. Through the Dicty Stock Center we provide the community with an impressive amount of annotated strains and plasmids. Recently, dictyBase accomplished a major overhaul to adapt an outdated infrastructure to the current technological advances, thus facilitating the implementation of innovative tools and comparative genomics. It also provides new strategies for high quality annotations that enable bench researchers to benefit from the rapidly increasing volume of available data. dictyBase is highly responsive to its users needs, building a successful relationship that capitalizes on the vast efforts of the Dictyostelium research community. dictyBase has become the trusted data resource for Dictyostelium investigators, other investigators or organizations seeking information about Dictyostelium, as well as educators who use this model system. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A secreted factor represses cell proliferation in Dictyostelium

OpenAIRE

Brock, Debra A.; Gomer, Richard H.

2005-01-01

Many cells appear to secrete factors called chalones that limit their proliferation, but in most cases the factors have not been identified. We found that growing Dictyostelium cells secrete a 60 kDa protein called AprA for autocrine proliferation repressor. AprA has similarity to putative bacterial proteins of unknown function. Compared with wild-type cells, aprA-null cells proliferate faster, while AprA overexpressing cells proliferate slower. Growing wild-type cells secrete a factor that i...

Overexpression of the cAMP Receptor 1 in Growing Dictyostelium Cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Johnson, Ronald L.; Vaughan, Roxanne A.; Caterina, Michael J.; Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Devreotes, Peter N.

1991-01-01

cAR1, the cAMP receptor expressed normally during the early aggregation stage of the Dictyostelium developmental program, has been expressed during the growth stage, when only low amounts of endogenous receptors are present. Transformants expressing cAR1 have 7-40 times over growth stage and

Pleckstrin Homology Domain Diffusion in Dictyostelium Cytoplasm Studied Using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Engel, Ruchira; Hink, Mark A.; Bosgraaf, Leonard; Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Visser, Antonie J.W.G.

2004-01-01

The translocation of pleckstrin homology (PH) domain-containing proteins from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane plays an important role in the chemotaxis mechanism of Dictyostelium cells. The diffusion of three PH domain-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions (PH2-GFP, PH10-GFP, and PH-CRAC

Pleckstrin homology domain diffusion in Dictyostelium cytoplasm studied using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruchira, A.; Hink, M.A.; Bosgraaf, L.; Haastert, van P.J.M.; Visser, A.J.W.G.

2004-01-01

The translocation of pleckstrin homology (PH) domain-containing proteins from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane plays an important role in the chemotaxis mechanism of Dictyostelium cells. The diffusion of three PH domain-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions (PH2-GFP, PH10-GFP, and PH-CRAC

Sensitization of Dictyostelium chemotaxis by phosphoinositide-3-kinase-mediated self-organizing signalling patches

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Postma, M.; Roelofs, J.; Goedhart, J.; Loovers, H.M.; Visser, A.J.W.G.; Haastert, van P.J.M.

2004-01-01

The leading edge of Dictyostelium cells in chemoattractant gradients can be visualized using green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged to the pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain of cytosolic regulator of adenylyl cyclase (CRAC), which presumable binds phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)triphosphate

Sensitization of Dictyostelium chemotaxis by phosphoinositide-3-kinase-mediated self-organizing signalling patches.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Postma, M.; Roelofs, J.; Goedhart, J.; Loovers, H.M.; Visser, A.J.; van Haastert, P.J.

2004-01-01

The leading edge of Dictyostelium cells in chemoattractant gradients can be visualized using green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged to the pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain of cytosolic regulator of adenylyl cyclase (CRAC), which presumable binds phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)triphosphate

Dicty_cDB: SSA564 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSA564 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - SSA564F (Link to Original s...ite) SSA564F 653 - - - - - - Show SSA564 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSA564 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/...NNTLKPKQTTKGFNIGGQPGNPTN*l--- Frame C: tlkfvmplvmkictslvlvlkrstk*rklfmmenshqtldgl...bits) Value N M77492 |M77492.1 Dictyostelium discoideum glycoprotein phosphorylase 2 (glpD) gene, complete c

Dicty_cDB: AFH742 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AC115581 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosom... 477 e-133 BC077988_1( BC077988 |pid:none) Xenopus laevis achalasia...lus 2 days neonate thymus... 84 3e-17 BC067671_1( BC067671 |pid:none) Danio rerio achalasia, adrenocorti... ... |pid:none) Homo sapiens mRNA for achalasia, a... 79 4e-16 (Q9NRG9) RecName: Full...0826 fis, cl... 79 5e-16 BC120418_1( BC120418 |pid:none) Bos taurus achalasia, adrenocortic... 80 6e-16 EF14

Model for the structure of the active nucleolar chromatin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labhart, P.; Ness, P.; Banz, E.; Parish, R.; Koller, T.; Universitaet Zurich, Switzerland)

1983-01-01

Transcribed ribosomal genes of Xenopus laevis oocytes and of Dictyostelium discoideum were studied electron microscopically using step gradients at different ionic strengths. Under these conditions the fiber of the active chromatin appears smooth and is indistinguishable from free DNA. The accessibility of the coding region and of a nontranscribed spacer region to restriction enzymes and micrococcal nuclease were investigated. All of the results obtained are consistent with a model in which active nucleolar chromatin is mostly composed of free DNA and the components required for transcription. 50 references, 7 figures

Dicty_cDB: CHD152 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CH (Link to library) CHD152 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - - (Link to Original site) C...HD152F 603 - - - - - - Show CHD152 Library CH (Link to library) Clone ID CHD152 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/CH/CHD...Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N U36937 |U36937.1 Dictyostelium discoideum...UF_IpTrk_27_j08 Trunk kidney cDNA library Ictalurus punctatus cDNA 5' similar to

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB826 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16584-1 VFB826F (Link... to Original site) VFB826F 430 - - - - - - Show VFB826 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB826 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16584-1 Original site URL http://dict... (bits) Value N AC115577 |AC115577.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4657875-4914984 strain AX4, c...vesicles of secretory system 4.0 %: endoplasmic reticulum >> prediction for VFB82

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB668 (Link to dictyBase) - G00394 DDB0168247 Contig-U09555-1...brary) Clone ID VFB668 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID G00394 dictyBase ID DDB0168247 Link to Contig ...Contig-U09555-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VF/VFB6-...uences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC117072 |AC117072.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromo...tein Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value AC117076_25

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB677 (Link to dictyBase) - G02518 DDB0188526 Contig-U02066-1...brary) Clone ID VFB677 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID G02518 dictyBase ID DDB0188526 Link to Contig ...Contig-U02066-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VF/VFB6-...nfnytrgccsygdl*wy*gtr*tih*kdr*lwcassfenfndtictit mfnr**sstwfeilskrsih*rgikc*hd*nh..._25( AC116960 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum chromoso... 90 2e-16 CP001276_520( CP001276 |pid:none) The

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB644 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U10683-1 VFB644F (Link... to Original site) VFB644F 519 - - - - - - Show VFB644 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB644 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U10683-1 Original site URL http://dict...7 9 AC116920 |AC116920.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 3879572-407176... %: nuclear 8.0 %: mitochondrial 4.0 %: cytoskeletal 4.0 %: vesicles of secretory system >> predict

The secondary structure of large-subunit rRNA divergent domains, a marker for protist evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenaers, G; Nielsen, Henrik; Engberg, J

1988-01-01

The secondary structure of the large-subunit ribosomal RNA (24-26S rRNA) has been studied with emphasis on comparative analysis of the folding patterns of the divergent domains in the available protist sequences, that is Prorocentrum micans (dinoflagellate), Saccharomyces carlsbergensis (yeast......), Tetrahymena thermophila (ciliate), Physarum polycephalum and Dictyostelium discoideum (slime moulds), Crithidia fasciculata and Giardia lamblia (parasitic flagellates). The folding for the D3, D7a and D10 divergent domains has been refined and a consensus model for the protist 24-26S rRNA structure...

Deletion of Dictyostelium discoideum Sir2A impairs cell proliferation ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Rakhee Lohia

2018-04-13

Apr 13, 2018 ... Multicellular structures developed were collected, fixed and stained with X-gal as ... classification for Sirtuins (Fyre 2000), the above were clas- ... RNA, protein and lipid substrates (Klug 1999; Hall 2005;. Gamsjaeger et al.

Kin discrimination increases with genetic distance in a social amoeba.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostrowski, Elizabeth A; Katoh, Mariko; Shaulsky, Gad; Queller, David C; Strassmann, Joan E

2008-11-25

In the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, thousands of cells aggregate upon starvation to form a multicellular fruiting body, and approximately 20% of them die to form a stalk that benefits the others. The aggregative nature of multicellular development makes the cells vulnerable to exploitation by cheaters, and the potential for cheating is indeed high. Cells might avoid being victimized if they can discriminate among individuals and avoid those that are genetically different. We tested how widely social amoebae cooperate by mixing isolates from different localities that cover most of their natural range. We show here that different isolates partially exclude one another during aggregation, and there is a positive relationship between the extent of this exclusion and the genetic distance between strains. Our findings demonstrate that D. discoideum cells co-aggregate more with genetically similar than dissimilar individuals, suggesting the existence of a mechanism that discerns the degree of genetic similarity between individuals in this social microorganism.

Heteromeric p97/p97R155C complexes induce dominant negative changes in wild-type and autophagy 9-deficient Dictyostelium strains.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalid Arhzaouy

Full Text Available Heterozygous mutations in the human VCP (p97 gene cause autosomal-dominant IBMPFD (inclusion body myopathy with early onset Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia, ALS14 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with or without frontotemporal dementia and HSP (hereditary spastic paraplegia. Most prevalent is the R155C point mutation. We studied the function of p97 in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and have generated strains that ectopically express wild-type (p97 or mutant p97 (p97(R155C fused to RFP in AX2 wild-type and autophagy 9 knock-out (ATG9(KO cells. Native gel electrophoresis showed that both p97 and p97(R155C assemble into hexamers. Co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed that endogenous p97 and p97(R155C-RFP form heteromers. The mutant strains displayed changes in cell growth, phototaxis, development, proteasomal activity, ubiquitinylated proteins, and ATG8(LC3 indicating mis-regulation of multiple essential cellular processes. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis revealed an increase of protein aggregates in ATG9(KO/p97(R155C-RFP and ATG9(KO cells. They were positive for ubiquitin in both strains, however, solely immunoreactive for p97 in the ATG9(KO mutant. A major finding is that the expression of p97(R155C-RFP in the ATG9(KO strain partially or fully rescued the pleiotropic phenotype. We also observed dose-dependent effects of p97 on several cellular processes. Based on findings in the single versus the double mutants we propose a novel mode of p97 interaction with the core autophagy protein ATG9 which is based on mutual inhibition.

Cyclic AMP signalling in Dictyostelium : G-proteins activate separate Ras pathways using specific RasGEFs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kae, Helmut; Kortholt, Arjan; Rehmann, Holger; Insall, RobertH.; Van Haastert, Peter J. M.; Spiegelman, George B.; Weeks, Gerald

In general, mammalian Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RasGEFs) show little substrate specificity, although they are often thought to regulate specific pathways. Here, we provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that two RasGEFs can each act on specific Ras proteins. During Dictyostelium

Defective ribosome assembly in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Chi C; Traynor, David; Basse, Nicolas; Kay, Robert R; Warren, Alan J

2011-10-20

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS), a recessive leukemia predisposition disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, skeletal abnormalities and poor growth, is caused by mutations in the highly conserved SBDS gene. Here, we test the hypothesis that defective ribosome biogenesis underlies the pathogenesis of SDS. We create conditional mutants in the essential SBDS ortholog of the ancient eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum using temperature-sensitive, self-splicing inteins, showing that mutant cells fail to grow at the restrictive temperature because ribosomal subunit joining is markedly impaired. Remarkably, wild type human SBDS complements the growth and ribosome assembly defects in mutant Dictyostelium cells, but disease-associated human SBDS variants are defective. SBDS directly interacts with the GTPase elongation factor-like 1 (EFL1) on nascent 60S subunits in vivo and together they catalyze eviction of the ribosome antiassociation factor eukaryotic initiation factor 6 (eIF6), a prerequisite for the translational activation of ribosomes. Importantly, lymphoblasts from SDS patients harbor a striking defect in ribosomal subunit joining whose magnitude is inversely proportional to the level of SBDS protein. These findings in Dictyostelium and SDS patient cells provide compelling support for the hypothesis that SDS is a ribosomopathy caused by corruption of an essential cytoplasmic step in 60S subunit maturation.

Correlated waves of actin filaments and PIP3 in Dictyostelium cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Asano, Yukako; Nagasaki, Akira; Uyeda, Taro Q P

2008-12-01

Chemotaxis-deficient amiB-null mutant Dictyostelium cells show two distinct movements: (1) they extend protrusions randomly without net displacements; (2) they migrate persistently and unidirectionally in a keratocyte-like manner. Here, we monitored the intracellular distribution of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP(3)) to gain insight into roles PIP(3) plays in those spontaneous motilities. In keratocyte-like cells, PIP(3) showed convex distribution over the basal membrane, with no anterior enrichment. In stalled cells, as well as in wild type cells, PIP(3) repeated wave-like changes, including emergence, expansion and disappearance, on the basal membrane. The waves induced lamellipodia when they approached the cell edge, and the advancing speed of the waves was comparable to the migration speed of the keratocyte-like cells. LY294002, an inhibitor of PI3 kinase, abolished PIP(3) waves in stalled cells and stopped keratocyte-like cells. These results together suggested that keratocyte-like cells are "surfing" on the PIP(3) waves by coupling steady lamellipodial protrusions to the PIP(3) waves. Simultaneous live observation of actin filaments and PIP(3) in wild type or stalled amiB(-) cells indicated that the PIP(3) waves were correlated with wave-like distributions of actin filaments. Most notably, PIP(3) waves often followed actin waves, suggesting that PIP(3) induces local depolymerization of actin filaments. Consistent with this idea, cortical accumulation of PIP(3) was often correlated with local retraction of the periphery. We propose that the waves of PIP(3) and actin filaments are loosely coupled with each other and play important roles in generating spontaneous cell polarity. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U11651-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 0 1 ( BJ435790 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv28j10, 3' ... 355 2e-93 1 ( EY481033 ) CBBP11161.rev CBBP Hirudo medicina...lis hermaphrodi... 36 1.6 2 ( EY486444 ) CBBP15196.rev CBBP Hirudo medicinalis hermaphr...odi... 36 1.6 2 ( EY503165 ) CBBP6773.rev CBBP Hirudo medicinalis hermaphrodit...... 36 1.6 2 ( EY494245 ) CBBP19905.rev CBBP Hirudo medicinalis hermaphrodi... 36 1.6 2 ( EY504499 ) CBBP7545.rev CBBP Hirudo medicina...lis hermaphrodit... 36 1.6 2 ( EY503685 ) CBBP7067.rev CBBP Hirudo medicinalis hermap

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U15132-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available s) Value N ( C22922 ) Dictyostelium discoideum gamete cDNA, clone FC-AM03. 1122 0.0 1 ( EY489954 ) CBBP17356.rev CBBP Hirudo medicina...lis hermaphrodi... 56 9e-12 4 ( EY481037 ) CBBP11163.rev CBBP Hirudo medicinalis he...( CZ542454 ) SRAA-aad44c05.g1 Strongyloides ratti whole genome... 66 1e-10 3 ( EY491469 ) CBBP18281.fwd CBBP Hirudo medicina...lis hermaphrodi... 56 3e-10 2 ( EY481038 ) CBBP11163.fwd CBBP Hirudo medicina...lis hermaphrodi... 56 3e-10 2 ( EY489955 ) CBBP17356.fwd CBBP Hirudo medicinalis hermaphrodi...

Dicty_cDB: VFB113 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB113 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16478-1 VFB113P (Link... to Original site) VFB113F 584 VFB113Z 643 VFB113P 1227 - - Show VFB113 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB113 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16478-1 Original site URL http://dict...rlstttrlptttrlptttrlstttr lptttrlptttrlptttrlptttrlsttrlstttrlstswctswctswictrygswissr llcwynhs*l*t*c*sfkksn...sequence. 42 5e-29 8 U03413 |U03413.1 Dictyostelium discoideum AX2 calcium binding protein mRNA, complete cd

Dicty_cDB: CFE213 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFE213 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 CFE213F (Link... to Original site) CFE213F 111 - - - - - - Show CFE213 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFE213 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dict... E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dict...yostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4718821-4752388 strain AX4, complete sequence. 80 9e-24 3 X51892 |X51892.1 Dict

Dicty_cDB: SSF210 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSF210 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16581-1 SSF210P (Link... to Original site) SSF210F 183 SSF210Z 197 SSF210P 380 - - Show SSF210 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSF210 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16581-1 Original site URL http://dict...nt alignments: (bits) Value N D16417 |D16417.1 Dictyostelium discoideum mRNA. 339...01670 Skin cDNA library Ictalurus punctatus cDNA 5' similar to Ictacalcin, mRNA s

Dicty_cDB: SFD117 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SF (Link to library) SFD117 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 SFD117F (Link... to Original site) SFD117F 107 - - - - - - Show SFD117 Library SF (Link to library) Clone ID SFD117 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dict...s producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dictyoste...lium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4718821-4752388 strain AX4, complete sequence. 80 2e-21 3 X51892 |X51892.1 Dict

Dicty_cDB: SSG427 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSG427 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - SSG427Z (Link to Original s...ite) - - SSG427Z 372 - - - - Show SSG427 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSG427 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/...E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N M77492 |M77492.1 Dictyostelium discoideum glyco....1 Sequence 481 from Patent WO0168912. 48 0.090 1 BE470067 |BE470067.1 IpHdk03092 Head kidney cDNA library Ict

Dicty_cDB: SSF689 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSF689 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16581-1 SSF689F (Link... to Original site) SSF689F 443 - - - - - - Show SSF689 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSF689 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16581-1 Original site URL http://dict...core E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N D16417 |D16417.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ...A sequence. 50 0.027 1 BM028890 |BM028890.1 IpSkn01670 Skin cDNA library Ictaluru

Dicty_cDB: CFH713 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFH713 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) CFH713F 133 - - - - - - Show CFH713 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFH713 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...ogy vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X51892 |X51892.1 Dict...yostelium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 80 2e-23 3 AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dict

Dicty_cDB: CFH518 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFH518 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) CFH518F 131 - - - - - - Show CFH518 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFH518 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X51892 |X51892.1 Dict...yostelium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 80 2e-22 3 AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dictyos

Dicty_cDB: CFI225 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFI225 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) CFI225F 133 - - - - - - Show CFI225 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFI225 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...ogy vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N X51892 |X51892.1 Dict...yostelium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 80 2e-23 3 AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dict

Dicty_cDB: CFH557 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFH557 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - - (Link to Original site) C...FH557F 132 - - - - - - Show CFH557 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFH557 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/CF/CFH...roducing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dictyosteliu...m discoideum chromosome 2 map 4718821-4752388 strain AX4, complete sequence. 80 3e-28 3 X51892 |X51892.1 Dict

Dicty_cDB: AFE742 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AF (Link to library) AFE742 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - AFE742F (Link to Original s...ite) AFE742F 585 - - - - - - Show AFE742 Library AF (Link to library) Clone ID AFE742 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/...Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N U36937 |U36937.1 Dictyostelium discoideum calreti...NA clone hj81f04, mRNA sequence. 36 3e-04 3 AY342298 |AY342298.1 Ictalurus puncta

Dicty_cDB: VHK273 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHK273 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 - (Link to Original site) VHK2...73F 620 - - - - - - Show VHK273 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHK273 (Link to dicty...iol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VH/VHK2-D/VHK273Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID - (Link to ...Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VHK273 (VHK273Q) /CSM/VH/VHK2-D/VHK273Q.Seq.d/ AACTCTCGAGTGCAAAA...27874 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k23, 5' ... 1170 0.0 1 ( BJ42787

Dicty_cDB: VHK256 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHK256 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 - (Link to Original site) VHK2...56F 620 - - - - - - Show VHK256 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHK256 (Link to dicty...iol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VH/VHK2-C/VHK256Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID - (Link to ...Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VHK256 (VHK256Q) /CSM/VH/VHK2-C/VHK256Q.Seq.d/ AACTCTCGAGTGCAAAA...27874 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k23, 5' ... 1170 0.0 1 ( BJ42787

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC222 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16046-1 VFC222Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFC222Z 339 - - - - Show VFC222 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC222 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16046-1 Original site URL http://dict...pdate 2002.12.15 Homology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC116989 |AC116989.2 Dict...etical LO... 88 8e-17 AC115592_28( AC115592 |pid:none) Dictyostelium discoideum c

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC231 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16593-1 VFC231P (Link... to Original site) VFC231F 428 VFC231Z 202 VFC231P 630 - - Show VFC231 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC231 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16593-1 Original site URL http://dict...amoeba histolytica genomic, DNA sequence. 48 0.13 1 AC116984 |AC116984.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome...mbrane 4.0 %: vesicles of secretory system 4.0 %: extracellular, including cell wall >> predict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB703 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U14188-1 VFB703Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFB703Z 680 - - - - Show VFB703 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB703 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U14188-1 Original site URL http://dict...ENCE, 18 unordered pieces. 36 0.038 5 AC115680 |AC115680.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4415041...4-226K1, *** SEQUENCING IN PROGRESS ***, 52 unordered pieces. 46 0.31 5 AC116977 |AC116977.2 Dict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB632 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16585-1 VFB632Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFB632Z 181 - - - - Show VFB632 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB632 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16585-1 Original site URL http://dict...g significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC115577 |AC115577.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4657...%: cytoplasmic 12.0 %: mitochondrial 8.0 %: cytoskeletal 4.0 %: peroxisomal >> prediction for VFB632 is nuc

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC124 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U12017-1 VFC124Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFC124Z 496 - - - - Show VFC124 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC124 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U12017-1 Original site URL http://dict...e E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dictyostelium discoideum... chromosome 2 map 1685067-2090751 strain AX4, complete sequence. 835 0.0 2 U67089 |U67089.1 Dict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC242 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16280-1 VFC242F (Link... to Original site) VFC242F 431 - - - - - - Show VFC242 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC242 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16280-1 Original site URL http://dict...3( S18663 ) coronin - slime mold (Dictyostelium discoideum) ... 270 1e-71 AY52578...asmic 4.0 %: cytoskeletal 4.0 %: vesicles of secretory system >> prediction for VFC242 is nuc 5' end seq. ID

Dicty_cDB: SLH264 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLH264 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 SLH264Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLH264Z 532 - - - - Show SLH264 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLH264 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLH2-C/SLH264Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLH26...4Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLH264 (SLH264Q) /CSM/SL/SLH2-C/SLH264Q.Seq.d/ XXXXX...g significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( AU039244 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLH2

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U01494-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ... 38 3.9 3 ( EK502865 ) 1095505947941 Global-Ocean-Sampling_GS-32-01-01-1... 32 3.9 3 ( AP001687 ) Homo sapie...... 36 0.81 FJ006933_17( FJ006933 |pid:none) Brachyspira intermedia strain HB6.....1 ) ENTLN83TF Entamoeba histolytica Sheared DNA Entam... 38 0.024 3 ( AC114258 ) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map compl...em... 52 0.026 1 ( ER450904 ) 1092963849313 Global-Ocean-Sampli...ng_GS-35-01-01-1... 52 0.026 1 ( EJ507915 ) 1095407013410 Global-Ocean-Sampling_GS-28-01-01-1... 52 0.026

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U16556-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 379 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:dda53n08, 3' ... 42 0.041 2 ( FK757919 ) av01018a06r1.1 Symbioti... DW145191 ) CLVX10263.b1_M22.ab1 CLV(XYZ) lettuce virosa Lact... 48 0.050 2 ( FK759690 ) av02060a20r1.1 Symbiotic...1597 ) CAXA9355.rev CAXA Helobdella robusta Subtracted L... 44 0.053 3 ( FK724153 ) av02100l05r1.1 Symbiot...ic sea anemone (Anemonia vi... 48 0.054 3 ( CL080652 ) CH216-159D22_RM4.1 CH216 Xen

External stimulation strength controls actin response dynamics in Dictyostelium cells

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Hsin-Fang; Westendorf, Christian; Tarantola, Marco; Zykov, Vladimir; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Beta, Carsten

2015-03-01

Self-sustained oscillation and the resonance frequency of the cytoskeletal actin polymerization/depolymerization have recently been observed in Dictyostelium, a model system for studying chemotaxis. Here we report that the resonance frequency is not constant but rather varies with the strength of external stimuli. To understand the underlying mechanism, we analyzed the polymerization and depolymerization time at different levels of external stimulation. We found that polymerization time is independent of external stimuli but the depolymerization time is prolonged as the stimulation increases. These observations can be successfully reproduced in the frame work of our time delayed differential equation model.

Effects of caffeine on DNA repair of UV-irradiated Dictyostelium discoideum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnishi, T.; Okaichi, K.; Ohashi, Y.; Nozu, K.

1981-01-01

Caffeine enhances the UV-killing of amoeboid cells of NC-4, but UV-irradiated γs-13 is insensitive to caffeine. UV-irradiated NC-4 becomes insensitive to the effect of caffeine during a postirradiation incubation in buffer for about 90 min, but γs-13 remains unchanged in the sensitivity to caffeine throughout the incubation for 180 min. Amoeboid cells of γs-13 can remove pyrimidine dimers as well as NC-4 even in the presence of caffeine. Caffeine inhibits rejoining of strand-breaks of DNA in UV-irradiated NC-4, but the rejoining in γs-13 is insensitive to caffeine. (author)

Dictyostelium cells bind a secreted autocrine factor that represses cell proliferation

OpenAIRE

Choe, Jonathan M; Bakthavatsalam, Deenadayalan; Phillips, Jonathan E; Gomer, Richard H

2009-01-01

Abstract Background Dictyostelium cells secrete the proteins AprA and CfaD. Cells lacking either AprA or CfaD proliferate faster than wild type, while AprA or CfaD overexpressor cells proliferate slowly, indicating that AprA and CfaD are autocrine factors that repress proliferation. CfaD interacts with AprA and requires the presence of AprA to slow proliferation. To determine if CfaD is necessary for the ability of AprA to slow proliferation, whether AprA binds to cells, and if so whether the...

Nucleus-associated phosphorylation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 to InsP6 in Dictyostelium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaay, Jeroen van der; Wesseling, Jelle; Haastert, Peter J.M. van

1995-01-01

Although many cells contain large amounts of InsP(6), its metabolism and function is still largely unknown. In Dictyostelium lysates, the formation of InsP(6) by sequential phosphorylation of inositol via Ins(3,4,6)P-3 has been described [Stevens and Irvine (1990) Nature (London) 346, 580-583]; the

Dicty_cDB: CFH521 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CF (Link to library) CFH521 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16381-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) CFH521F 134 - - - - - - Show CFH521 Library CF (Link to library) Clone ID CFH521 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16381-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...mology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC115685 |AC115685.1 Dict.... 82 2e-29 3 X51892 |X51892.1 Dictyostelium discoideum SP60 gene for spore coat protein. 82 4e-29 2 X52105 |X52105.1 Dict

Dicty_cDB: SSG335 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSG335 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16509-1 SSG335F (Link... to Original site) SSG335F 200 - - - - - - Show SSG335 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSG335 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16509-1 Original site URL http://dict...y vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N D16417 |D16417.1 Dictyostelium d...iscoideum mRNA. 64 1e-17 2 BM028890 |BM028890.1 IpSkn01670 Skin cDNA library Icta

Dicty_cDB: AFJ817 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AF (Link to library) AFJ817 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15574-1 AFJ817F (Link... to Original site) AFJ817F 172 - - - - - - Show AFJ817 Library AF (Link to library) Clone ID AFJ817 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15574-1 Original site URL http://dict...alue N AC116920 |AC116920.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 3879572-4071762 strain AX4, complete s...es. 42 1.1 2 BE213059 |BE213059.1 IpBrn01690 Brain cDNA library Ictalurus punctatus cDNA 5', mRNA sequence.

Dicty_cDB: SSG316 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSG316 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16509-1 SSG316F (Link... to Original site) SSG316F 231 - - - - - - Show SSG316 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSG316 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16509-1 Original site URL http://dict...g significant alignments: (bits) Value N D16417 |D16417.1 Dictyostelium discoideu...m mRNA. 64 3e-12 2 BM028890 |BM028890.1 IpSkn01670 Skin cDNA library Ictalurus punctatus cDNA 5' similar to Ict

Dicty_cDB: SSE149 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSE149 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U01658-1 | Contig-U165... library) Clone ID SSE149 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U016...58-1 | Contig-U16509-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/S...g significant alignments: (bits) Value N D16417 |D16417.1 Dictyostelium discoideum mRNA. 64 1e-17 2 AC100496...egans clone T13G4, complete sequence. 36 5.0 2 BM028890 |BM028890.1 IpSkn01670 Skin cDNA library Ictalurus p

Dicty_cDB: AHA115 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AH (Link to library) AHA115 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - - (Link to Original site) A...HA115F 669 - - - - - - Show AHA115 Library AH (Link to library) Clone ID AHA115 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/AH/AHA...(bits) Value N U36937 |U36937.1 Dictyostelium discoideum calreticulin mRNA, complete cds. 1243 0.0 2 BD24838... 7e-04 1 CK420742 |CK420742.1 AUF_IpTrk_27_j08 Trunk kidney cDNA library Ictalurus punctatus cDNA 5' similar

Dicty_cDB: CHP827 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CH (Link to library) CHP827 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15898-1 - (Link to Or...iginal site) CHP827F 148 - - - - - - Show CHP827 Library CH (Link to library) Clone ID CHP827 (Link to dicty...Base) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15898-1 Original site URL http://dictycdb.b...ments: (bits) Value N AC116984 |AC116984.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2567470-3108875 strain ...18q21 clone:RP11-866E20, WORKING DRAFT SEQUENCE, 18 unordered pieces. 42 0.073 4 CK406764 |CK406764.1 AUF_IfLvr_212_c09 Ict

Dicty_cDB: SFJ801 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SF (Link to library) SFJ801 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - SFJ801P (Link to Original s...ite) SFJ801F 633 SFJ801Z 345 SFJ801P 978 - - Show SFJ801 Library SF (Link to library) Clone ID SFJ801 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.ts...t alignments: (bits) Value N U36937 |U36937.1 Dictyostelium discoideum calreticulin mRNA, complete cds. 1021...IpTrk_27_j08 Trunk kidney cDNA library Ictalurus punctatus cDNA 5' similar to ER-resident chaperone calretic

Dicty_cDB: SSF105 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSF105 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16581-1 SSF105F (Link... to Original site) SSF105F 432 - - - - - - Show SSF105 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSF105 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16581-1 Original site URL http://dict...g significant alignments: (bits) Value N D16417 |D16417.1 Dictyostelium discoideum mRNA. 387 e-126 3 BZ46365...028890 |BM028890.1 IpSkn01670 Skin cDNA library Ictalurus punctatus cDNA 5' similar to Ict

Dicty_cDB: SSI468 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSI468 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16310-1 SSI468Z (Link... to Original site) - - SSI468Z 300 - - - - Show SSI468 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSI468 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16310-1 Original site URL http://dict...gnments: (bits) Value N AC116330 |AC116330.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 3191214-3323468 strai...NCING IN PROGRESS ***, 3 unordered pieces. 46 6.0 2 BM029242 |BM029242.1 IpSkn00196 Skin cDNA library Ictalu

Dicty_cDB: AFE557 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AF (Link to library) AFE557 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - AFE557F (Link to Original s...ite) AFE557F 540 - - - - - - Show AFE557 Library AF (Link to library) Clone ID AFE557 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/...ificant alignments: (bits) Value N U36937 |U36937.1 Dictyostelium discoideum calr...|CB937139.1 IpCGJx13_12_E07_23 IpCGJx13 Ictalurus punctatus cDNA clone IpCGJx13_12_E07 5', mRNA sequence. 52

Dicty_cDB: SSD250 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSD250 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U14716-1 SSD250E (Link... to Original site) - - - - - - SSD250E 491 Show SSD250 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSD250 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U14716-1 Original site URL http://dict...t alignments: (bits) Value N U20432 |U20432.1 Dictyostelium discoideum TagB (tagB) gene, complete cds. 151 1...cName: Full=Cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit 7; AltNam... 45 0.001 DQ399515_1( DQ399515 |pid:none) Ictalurus

Dicty_cDB: SSF865 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SS (Link to library) SSF865 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16581-1 SSF865Z (Link... to Original site) - - SSF865Z 436 - - - - Show SSF865 Library SS (Link to library) Clone ID SSF865 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16581-1 Original site URL http://dict...s producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N D16417 |D16417.1 Dictyostelium discoideum mRNA. 387 e-115...0.027 1 BM028890 |BM028890.1 IpSkn01670 Skin cDNA library Ictalurus punctatus cDNA 5' similar to Ict

Dicty_cDB: AFH386 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AF (Link to library) AFH386 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - AFH386F (Link to Original s...ite) AFH386F 623 - - - - - - Show AFH386 Library AF (Link to library) Clone ID AFH386 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dict...yBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/...s producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N U36937 |U36937.1 Dictyostelium discoideum calreticulin mR...is centranthoides cDNA clone hj81f04, mRNA sequence. 36 4e-04 3 AY342298 |AY342298.1 Ictalurus punctatus ER-

Dicty_cDB: VHK209 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHK209 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 VHK209P (Link to Original site) VHK2...09F 573 VHK209Z 765 VHK209P 1318 - - Show VHK209 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHK2...e URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VH/VHK2-A/VHK209Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID VHK2...09P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VHK209 (VHK209Q) /CSM/VH/VHK2-A/VHK2...Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( BJ446805 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k2

Dicty_cDB: VHK207 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHK207 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 VHK207P (Link to Original site) VHK2...07F 371 VHK207Z 713 VHK207P 1064 - - Show VHK207 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHK2...e URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VH/VHK2-A/VHK207Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID VHK2...07P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VHK207 (VHK207Q) /CSM/VH/VHK2-A/VHK2...ducing significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( BJ446805 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k21, 3'

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB612 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16272-1 VFB612P (Link... to Original site) VFB612F 631 VFB612Z 640 VFB612P 1271 - - Show VFB612 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB612 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16272-1 Original site URL http://dict...es producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N L08391 |L08391.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ribosomal prot...gi 4.0 %: plasma membrane >> prediction for VFB612 is nuc 5' end seq. ID VFB612F

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB611 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16239-1 VFB611P (Link... to Original site) VFB611F 650 VFB611Z 704 VFB611P 1354 - - Show VFB611 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB611 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16239-1 Original site URL http://dict...ant alignments: (bits) Value N AC116989 |AC116989.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chro...mosome 2 map complement(3527391-3470188) strain AX4, complete sequence. 42 5e-10 9 AC116987 |AC116987.2 Dict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB569 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15456-1 VFB569E (Link...) Clone ID VFB569 (Link to dictyBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15456-1 Ori...7 0.0 own update 2004. 8. 9 Homology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N Y16962 |Y16962.1 Dict...yostelium discoideum mRNA for cathepsin D. 2264 0.0 2 AJ243946 |AJ243946.1 Dictyoste...uclear 8.0 %: cytoplasmic 8.0 %: Golgi 8.0 %: endoplasmic reticulum >> prediction for VFB569 is exc 5' end s

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB847 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16272-1 VFB847P (Link... to Original site) VFB847F 528 VFB847Z 749 VFB847P 1277 - - Show VFB847 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB847 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16272-1 Original site URL http://dict...core E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N L08391 |L08391.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ...ear 24.0 %: cytoplasmic 4.0 %: cytoskeletal 4.0 %: plasma membrane 4.0 %: endoplasmic reticulum >> predictio

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC265 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16459-1 VFC265Z (Link... to Original site) - - VFC265Z 278 - - - - Show VFC265 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC265 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16459-1 Original site URL http://dict...ology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC123513 |AC123513.1 Dictyos...telium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2779865-2840915 strain AX4, *** SEQUENCING IN PROGRESS ***. 159 9e-77 4 AC117070 |AC117070.2 Dict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB574 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 VFB574P (Link... to Original site) VFB574F 508 VFB574Z 686 VFB574P 1194 - - Show VFB574 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB574 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16382-1 Original site URL http://dict...uences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AC116957 |AC116957.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromo...some 2 map 1685067-2090751 strain AX4, complete sequence. 1352 0.0 4 AC116986 |AC116986.2 Dict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC255 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16272-1 VFC255P (Link... to Original site) VFC255F 198 VFC255Z 525 VFC255P 723 - - Show VFC255 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC255 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16272-1 Original site URL http://dict...oducing significant alignments: (bits) Value N L08391 |L08391.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ribosomal protein (...ic 32.0 %: nuclear 4.0 %: Golgi 4.0 %: mitochondrial >> prediction for VFC255 is cyt 5' end seq. ID VFC255F

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB559 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16272-1 VFB559P (Link... to Original site) VFB559F 307 VFB559Z 624 VFB559P 931 - - Show VFB559 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB559 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16272-1 Original site URL http://dict...alignments: (bits) Value N L08391 |L08391.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ribosomal pr...toplasmic 16.0 %: mitochondrial 4.0 %: nuclear >> prediction for VFB559 is cyt 5' end seq. ID VFB559F 5' end

Dicty_cDB: SLH204 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLH204 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15479-1 SLH204Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLH204Z 657 - - - - Show SLH204 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLH204 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLH2-A/SLH204Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLH20...4Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLH204 (SLH204Q) /CSM/SL/SLH2-A/SLH204Q.Seq.d/ XXXXX...g significant alignments: (bits) Value N ( AU039226 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLH204. 930

Dicty_cDB: SLC461 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLC461 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 SLC461Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLC461Z 386 - - - - Show SLC461 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLC461 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLC4-C/SLC461Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLC46...1Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLC461 (SLC461Q) /CSM/SL/SLC4-C/SLC461Q.Seq.d/ XXXXX...e-155 2 ( AU034553 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLC461. 531 e-155 2 ( AU052473 ) Dictyosteliu

Dicty_cDB: SLC437 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLC437 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16397-1 SLC437Z (Link... to Original site) - - SLC437Z 622 - - - - Show SLC437 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLC437 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLC4-B/SLC437Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLC43...7Z (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLC437 (SLC437Q) /CSM/SL/SLC4-B/SLC437Q.Seq.d/ XXXXX...scoideum slug cDNA, clone SLC437. 1158 0.0 1 ( AU033994 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLB708.

The role of cGMP and the rear of the cell in Dictyostelium chemotaxis and cell streaming

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veltman, Douwe M.; van Haastert, Peter J. M.

2008-01-01

During chemotaxis, pseudopod extensions lead the cell towards the source of attractant. The role of actin-filled pseudopodia at the front of the cell is well recognized, whereas the function of the rear of the cell in chemotaxis and cell-cell interactions is less well known. Dictyostelium cell

A Dictyostelium chalone uses G proteins to regulate proliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakthavatsalam, Deenadayalan; Choe, Jonathan M; Hanson, Nana E; Gomer, Richard H

2009-07-27

Several studies have shown that organ size, and the proliferation of tumor metastases, may be regulated by negative feedback loops in which autocrine secreted factors called chalones inhibit proliferation. However, very little is known about chalones, and how cells sense them. We previously identified two secreted proteins, AprA and CfaD, which act as chalones in Dictyostelium. Cells lacking AprA or CfaD proliferate faster than wild-type cells, and adding recombinant AprA or CfaD to cells slows their proliferation. We show here that cells lacking the G protein components Galpha8, Galpha9, and Gbeta proliferate faster than wild-type cells despite secreting normal or high levels of AprA and CfaD. Compared with wild-type cells, the proliferation of galpha8-, galpha9- and gbeta- cells are only weakly inhibited by recombinant AprA (rAprA). Like AprA and CfaD, Galpha8 and Gbeta inhibit cell proliferation but not cell growth (the rate of increase in mass and protein per nucleus), whereas Galpha9 inhibits both proliferation and growth. galpha8- cells show normal cell-surface binding of rAprA, whereas galpha9- and gbeta- cells have fewer cell-surface rAprA binding sites, suggesting that Galpha9 and Gbeta regulate the synthesis or processing of the AprA receptor. Like other ligands that activate G proteins, rAprA induces the binding of [3H]GTP to membranes, and GTPgammaS inhibits the binding of rAprA to membranes. Both AprA-induced [3H]GTP binding and the GTPgammaS inhibition of rAprA binding require Galpha8 and Gbeta but not Galpha9. Like aprA- cells, galpha8- cells have reduced spore viability. This study shows that Galpha8 and Gbeta are part of the signal transduction pathway used by AprA to inhibit proliferation but not growth in Dictyostelium, whereas Galpha9 is part of a differealnt pathway that regulates both proliferation and growth, and that a chalone signal transduction pathway uses G proteins.

A retinoblastoma orthologue is a major regulator of S-phase, mitotic, and developmental gene expression in Dictyostelium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimchi Strasser

Full Text Available The retinoblastoma tumour suppressor, Rb, has two major functions. First, it represses genes whose products are required for S-phase entry and progression thus stabilizing cells in G1. Second, Rb interacts with factors that induce cell-cycle exit and terminal differentiation. Dictyostelium lacks a G1 phase in its cell cycle but it has a retinoblastoma orthologue, rblA.Using microarray analysis and mRNA-Seq transcriptional profiling, we show that RblA strongly represses genes whose products are involved in S phase and mitosis. Both S-phase and mitotic genes are upregulated at a single point in late G2 and again in mid-development, near the time when cell cycling is reactivated. RblA also activates a set of genes unique to slime moulds that function in terminal differentiation.Like its mammalian counterpart Dictyostelium, RblA plays a dual role, regulating cell-cycle progression and transcriptional events leading to terminal differentiation. In the absence of a G1 phase, however, RblA functions in late G2 controlling the expression of both S-phase and mitotic genes.

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U10467-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ments: (bits) Value N ( BJ433957 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv23p10, 3' ... 1084 0.0 2 ( EU868611 ) Human enterovirus...73 ) Xenopus tropicalis cDNA clone MGC:172876 IMAGE:76... 44 7.1 1 ( EF063152 ) Human enterovirus... 71 strain E2005125-TW polyprote... 44 7.1 1 ( DQ868521 ) Human enterovirus 71 isolate E2006...249-TW VP1 stru... 44 7.1 1 ( DQ846663 ) Human enterovirus 71 isolate NTU1551-TW-06 VP1 st... 44 7.1 1 ( DQ846662 ) Human enterovirus... 71 isolate NTU1482-TW-06 VP1 st... 44 7.1 1 ( DQ841970 ) Human enterovirus 71 isol

Dicty_cDB: SFF154 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SF (Link to library) SFF154 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15074-1 SFF154P (Link... to Original site) SFF154F 132 SFF154Z 514 SFF154P 646 - - Show SFF154 Library SF (Link to library) Clone ID SFF154 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15074-1 Original site URL http://dict...22, genomic survey sequence. 48 3e-09 3 AC116921 |AC116921.2 Dictyostelium discoi...deum chromosome 2 map 4624505-4657775 strain AX4, complete sequence. 44 4e-09 7 BQ096682 |BQ096682.1 IfHdk00151 Ict

Dicty_cDB: VFH121 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFH121 (Link to dictyBase) - - - - VFH121P (Link to Original s...ite) VFH121F 632 VFH121Z 144 VFH121P 776 - - Show VFH121 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFH121 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig - Original site URL http://dictycdb.biol.ts...nificant alignments: (bits) Value N U36937 |U36937.1 Dictyostelium discoideum calreticulin mRNA, complete cd...es cDNA clone hj81f04, mRNA sequence. 36 7e-04 3 CB937139 |CB937139.1 IpCGJx13_12_E07_23 IpCGJx13 Ictalurus

Dicty_cDB: VHK296 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VH (Link to library) VHK296 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 VHK296P (Link to Original site) VHK2...96F 531 VHK296Z 314 VHK296P 825 - - Show VHK296 Library VH (Link to library) Clone ID VHK2... URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VH/VHK2-D/VHK296Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID VHK2...96P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VHK296 (VHK296Q) /CSM/VH/VHK2-D/VHK2... 5' ... 993 0.0 1 ( BJ427875 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k24, 5' ... 993 0.0 1 ( BJ427874 ) D

Dicty_cDB: VFK242 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFK242 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16260-1 VFK242P (Link to Original site) VFK2...42F 606 VFK242Z 292 VFK242P 878 - - Show VFK242 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFK2... URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/VF/VFK2-B/VFK242Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID VFK2...42P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >VFK242 (VFK242Q) /CSM/VF/VFK2-B/VFK2...eum cDNA clone:ddv63n23, 5' ... 1142 0.0 1 ( BJ427875 ) Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA clone:ddv63k24, 5' ...

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB789 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16455-1 VFB789P (Link... to Original site) VFB789F 468 VFB789Z 735 VFB789P 1203 - - Show VFB789 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB789 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16455-1 Original site URL http://dict...oideum EF1-II gene for elongation factor 1 alpha. 1338 0.0 2 AF016242 |AF016242.1 Dictyostelium discoideum p...m_ : 1.00 36.0 %: cytoplasmic 36.0 %: nuclear 12.0 %: cytoskeletal 8.0 %: vacuolar 4.0 %: mitochondrial 4.0 %: peroxisomal >> predict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC196 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U13856-1 VFC196P (Link... to Original site) VFC196F 487 VFC196Z 556 VFC196P 1043 - - Show VFC196 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC196 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U13856-1 Original site URL http://dict...te 2004.12.25 Homology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N U72746 |U72746.1 Dict...13. 36 0.053 5 AC116984 |AC116984.2 Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 2567470-3108875 strain AX4, co

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB856 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16605-1 VFB856P (Link... to Original site) VFB856F 552 VFB856Z 535 VFB856P 1087 - - Show VFB856 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB856 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16605-1 Original site URL http://dict...own update 2004.12.25 Homology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N L36204 |L36204.1 Dict...ds. 922 0.0 6 U72746 |U72746.1 Dictyostelium discoideum cysteine proteinase (cprG) mRNA, complete cds. 131 e

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC241 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16272-1 VFC241P (Link... to Original site) VFC241F 369 VFC241Z 514 VFC241P 883 - - Show VFC241 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC241 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U16272-1 Original site URL http://dict...ments: (bits) Value N L08391 |L08391.1 Dictyostelium discoideum ribosomal protein (L3) gene, complete cds. 6...0 m3a: 0.00 m3b: 0.00 m_ : 1.00 68.0 %: nuclear 20.0 %: cytoplasmic 8.0 %: mitochondrial 4.0 %: peroxisomal >> predict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFB534 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15835-1 VFB534P (Link... to Original site) VFB534F 523 VFB534Z 467 VFB534P 990 - - Show VFB534 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFB534 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15835-1 Original site URL http://dict... Homology vs DNA Score E Sequences producing significant alignments: (bits) Value N AF025951 |AF025951.1 Dict...yostelium discoideum heat-shock cognate protein 70 (hsc70) mRNA, complete cds. 1037 0.0 3 AC115684 |AC115684.2 Dict

Dicty_cDB: [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available VF (Link to library) VFC161 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15456-1 VFC161P (Link... to Original site) VFC161F 564 VFC161Z 562 VFC161P 1126 - - Show VFC161 Library VF (Link to library) Clone ID VFC161 (Link to dict...yBase) Atlas ID - NBRP ID - dictyBase ID - Link to Contig Contig-U15456-1 Original site URL http://dict...Value N Y16962 |Y16962.1 Dictyostelium discoideum mRNA for cathepsin D. 1025 0.0 5 AJ243946 |AJ243946.1 Dict...plasma membrane 4.0 %: vesicles of secretory system >> prediction for VFC161 is nuc 5' end seq. ID VFC161F 5

Dicty_cDB: SLH296 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLH296 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U16382-1 SLH296F (Link to Original site) SLH2...96F 539 - - - - - - Show SLH296 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLH296 (Link to...ycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLH2-D/SLH296Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLH29...6F (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLH296 (SLH296Q) /CSM/SL/SLH2-D/SLH296Q.Seq.d/ GGACG...ete cDNA clone:FC-AV1... 1068 0.0 1 ( AU062036 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLH296. 1068 0.0

Dicty_cDB: SLH243 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SL (Link to library) SLH243 (Link to dictyBase) - - - Contig-U15469-1 SLH243P (Link to Original site) SLH2...43F 436 SLH243Z 369 SLH243P 805 - - Show SLH243 Library SL (Link to library) Clone ID SLH2... URL http://dictycdb.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/CSM/SL/SLH2-B/SLH243Q.Seq.d/ Representative seq. ID SLH2...43P (Link to Original site) Representative DNA sequence >SLH243 (SLH243Q) /CSM/SL/SLH2-B/SLH2...SA605. 785 0.0 1 ( AU062023 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLH243. 785 0.0 1 ( BJ416791 ) Dicty

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U15683-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ame: Full=Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 4; ... 41 0.14 BC143354_1( BC143354 |pid:none) Homo sapiens ...pe... 41 0.14 ( Q92353 ) RecName: Full=Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 6; ... 41 0.14 AC140026_8( AC140026 |pid:none) Med...e-07 1 ( AC116979 ) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 6445720... 54 1e-06 2 ( ER292388 ) 1092343612868 Global-Ocean-Sampli...ing embryo clone:m... 50 4e-05 2 ( EJ238241 ) 1095323012610 Global-Ocean-Sampling_GS-27-01-01-1... 40 3e-04 ...siae mRNA, clone: S03052-24_O... 48 0.35 2 ( EK189498 ) 1095460013501 Global-Ocean-Sampling_GS-31-01-01-1...

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U04013-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available pid:none) Flavobacterium psychrophilum JIP... 98 3e-19 EU678894_1( EU678894 |pid:none) Bacillus intermedius ...46 3e-04 2 ( EH672780 ) CCIL10412.b1_G11.ab1 CCI(LMS) chicory Cichorium i... 46 3e-04 2 ( EJ368820 ) 1092963715450 Global-Ocean-Sampl...41 |pid:none) Sulfolobus solfataricus P2, com... 89 2e-16 AH1770( AH1770 ) conserved hypothetical protein lin2710 [imported...AY653733 ) Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus, complete genome. 62 3e-05 1 ( EH678404 ) CCIL3410.b1_D14.ab1 CC...ngs S... 44 6.8 1 >( AC116963 ) Dictyostelium discoideum chromosome 2 map 4657875-4914984 strain AX4, compl

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U12181-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 48 0.83 1 ( BH165394 ) ENTSP11TR Entamoeba histolytica Sheared DNA Entam... 48 0.83 1 ( ER587964 ) 1093016178409 Global-Ocean-Sampli...sp-Glu-Ala-Asp... 82 4e-14 EF165011_1( EF165011 |pid:none) Paragonimus westermani VASA2n (vas... 82 4e-14 CP...13 EF165012_1( EF165012 |pid:none) Paragonimus westermani VASA3n (vas... 78 6e-13...0.0 1 ( AU062270 ) Dictyostelium discoideum slug cDNA, clone SLI836. 553 e-153 1 ( CX580418 ) TTE00023246 Ampli... DNA Entam... 56 0.003 1 ( ER592486 ) 1093016205314 Global-Ocean-Sampling_GS-36-01-01-2... 56 0.003 1

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U04975-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 6227.fwd CAWX Helobdella robusta Primary Ear... 34 3.5 2 ( DY542495 ) HPO-N-S01-0370-LF Hematopoietic cDNA library...0.95 2 ( DT742604 ) EST1176453 Aquilegia cDNA library Aquilegia formo... 36 0.95 2 ( AC178959 ) Strongylocentrotus purpuratu...43 ) EST1164393 Aquilegia cDNA library Aquilegia formo... 48 0.037 2 ( AC115684 ) Dictyostelium discoideum c...36815 ) MM2_2_4_C09 Sugar beet 10-week GH root cDNA Beta ... 50 0.087 1 ( CF886656 ) tric084xc11.b1 T.reesei mycelial culture..., Version... 50 0.087 1 ( CB907997 ) tric084xc11 T.reesei mycelial culture

Mirrored pyramidal wells for simultaneous multiple vantage point microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Seale, K T; Reiserer, R S; Markov, D A; Ges, I A; Wright, C; Janetopoulos, C; Wikswo, J P

2008-10-01

We report a novel method for obtaining simultaneous images from multiple vantage points of a microscopic specimen using size-matched microscopic mirrors created from anisotropically etched silicon. The resulting pyramidal wells enable bright-field and fluorescent side-view images, and when combined with z-sectioning, provide additional information for 3D reconstructions of the specimen. We have demonstrated the 3D localization and tracking over time of the centrosome of a live Dictyostelium discoideum. The simultaneous acquisition of images from multiple perspectives also provides a five-fold increase in the theoretical collection efficiency of emitted photons, a property which may be useful for low-light imaging modalities such as bioluminescence, or low abundance surface-marker labelling.

Desynchronization of cells on the developmental path triggers the formation of spiral waves of cAMP during Dictyostelium aggregation

Science.gov (United States)

Lauzeral, Jacques; Halloy, José; Goldbeter, Albert

1997-01-01

Whereas it is relatively easy to account for the formation of concentric (target) waves of cAMP in the course of Dictyostelium discoideum aggregation after starvation, the origin of spiral waves remains obscure. We investigate a physiologically plausible mechanism for the spontaneous formation of spiral waves of cAMP in D. discoideum. The scenario relies on the developmental path associated with the continuous changes in the activity of enzymes such as adenylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase observed during the hours that follow starvation. These changes bring the cells successively from a nonexcitable state to an excitable state in which they relay suprathreshold cAMP pulses, and then to autonomous oscillations of cAMP, before the system returns to an excitable state. By analyzing a model for cAMP signaling based on receptor desensitization, we show that the desynchronization of cells on this developmental path triggers the formation of fully developed spirals of cAMP. Developmental paths that do not correspond to the sequence of dynamic transitions no relay-relay-oscillations-relay are less able or fail to give rise to the formation of spirals. PMID:9256451

Sampling gene diversity across the supergroup Amoebozoa: large EST data sets from Acanthamoeba castellanii, Hartmannella vermiformis, Physarum polycephalum, Hyperamoeba dachnaya and Hyperamoeba sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Russell F; Gray, Michael W

2008-04-01

From comparative analysis of EST data for five taxa within the eukaryotic supergroup Amoebozoa, including two free-living amoebae (Acanthamoeba castellanii, Hartmannella vermiformis) and three slime molds (Physarum polycephalum, Hyperamoeba dachnaya and Hyperamoeba sp.), we obtained new broad-range perspectives on the evolution and biosynthetic capacity of this assemblage. Together with genome sequences for the amoebozoans Dictyostelium discoideum and Entamoeba histolytica, and including partial genome sequence available for A. castellanii, we used the EST data to identify genes that appear to be exclusive to the supergroup, and to specific clades therein. Many of these genes are likely involved in cell-cell communication or differentiation. In examining on a broad scale a number of characters that previously have been considered in simpler cross-species comparisons, typically between Dictyostelium and Entamoeba, we find that Amoebozoa as a whole exhibits striking variation in the number and distribution of biosynthetic pathways, for example, ones for certain critical stress-response molecules, including trehalose and mannitol. Finally, we report additional compelling cases of lateral gene transfer within Amoebozoa, further emphasizing that although this process has influenced genome evolution in all examined amoebozoan taxa, it has done so to a variable extent.

A Dictyostelium chalone uses G proteins to regulate proliferation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanson Nana E

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several studies have shown that organ size, and the proliferation of tumor metastases, may be regulated by negative feedback loops in which autocrine secreted factors called chalones inhibit proliferation. However, very little is known about chalones, and how cells sense them. We previously identified two secreted proteins, AprA and CfaD, which act as chalones in Dictyostelium. Cells lacking AprA or CfaD proliferate faster than wild-type cells, and adding recombinant AprA or CfaD to cells slows their proliferation. Results We show here that cells lacking the G protein components Galpha8, Galpha9, and Gbeta proliferate faster than wild-type cells despite secreting normal or high levels of AprA and CfaD. Compared with wild-type cells, the proliferation of galpha8-, galpha9- and gbeta- cells are only weakly inhibited by recombinant AprA (rAprA. Like AprA and CfaD, Galpha8 and Gbeta inhibit cell proliferation but not cell growth (the rate of increase in mass and protein per nucleus, whereas Galpha9 inhibits both proliferation and growth. galpha8- cells show normal cell-surface binding of rAprA, whereas galpha9- and gbeta- cells have fewer cell-surface rAprA binding sites, suggesting that Galpha9 and Gbeta regulate the synthesis or processing of the AprA receptor. Like other ligands that activate G proteins, rAprA induces the binding of [3H]GTP to membranes, and GTPgammaS inhibits the binding of rAprA to membranes. Both AprA-induced [3H]GTP binding and the GTPgammaS inhibition of rAprA binding require Galpha8 and Gbeta but not Galpha9. Like aprA- cells, galpha8- cells have reduced spore viability. Conclusion This study shows that Galpha8 and Gbeta are part of the signal transduction pathway used by AprA to inhibit proliferation but not growth in Dictyostelium, whereas Galpha9 is part of a differealnt pathway that regulates both proliferation and growth, and that a chalone signal transduction pathway uses G proteins.

Characterization of f-actin tryptophan phosphorescence in the presence and absence of tryptophan-free myosin motor domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Bódis, Emöke; Strambini, Giovanni B; Gonnelli, Margherita; Málnási-Csizmadia, András; Somogyi, Béla

2004-08-01

The effect of binding the Trp-free motor domain mutant of Dictyostelium discoideum, rabbit skeletal muscle myosin S1, and tropomyosin on the dynamics and conformation of actin filaments was characterized by an analysis of steady-state tryptophan phosphorescence spectra and phosphorescence decay kinetics over a temperature range of 140-293 K. The binding of the Trp-free motor domain mutant of D. discoideum to actin caused red shifts in the phosphorescence spectrum of two internal Trp residues of actin and affected the intrinsic lifetime of each emitter, decreasing by roughly twofold the short phosphorescence lifetime components (tau(1) and tau(2)) and increasing by approximately 20% the longest component (tau(3)). The alteration of actin phosphorescence by the motor protein suggests that i), structural changes occur deep down in the core of actin and that ii), subtle changes in conformation appear also on the surface but in regions distant from the motor domain binding site. When actin formed complexes with skeletal S1, an extra phosphorescence lifetime component appeared (tau(4), twice as long as tau(3)) in the phosphorescence decay that is absent in the isolated proteins. The lack of this extra component in the analogous actin-Trp-free motor domain mutant of D. discoideum complex suggests that it should be assigned to Trps in S1 that in the complex attain a more compact local structure. Our data indicated that the binding of tropomyosin to actin filaments had no effect on the structure or flexibility of actin observable by this technique.

Collective Behavior of Amoebae in Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Albert

2005-03-01

We have discovered new aspects of social behavior in Dictyostelium discoideum by culturing high density colonies in liquid media depleted of nutrients in confined geometries by using three different preparations: I. thin (15-40um thick) and II. ultrathin (behavior of cells despite flattening that increased their areas by over an order of magnitude. We also observed that the earliest synchronized response of cells following the onset of starvation, a precursor to aggregation, was hastened by reducing the thickness of the aqueous culture layer. We were surprised to find that the threshold concentration for aggregation was raised by thin film confinement when compared to bulk behavior. Finally, both the ultra thin and microfluidic preparations reveal, with new clarity, vortex states of aggregation.

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U06875-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available . 44 3.6 1 ( DW405755 ) EST000176 Trichophyton rubrum cDNA library Tricho... 44 3.6 1 ( AU269367 ) Dictyostelium discoideum vegetati...5aa06.g2 hhd Oryza coarctata genomic clone ... 46 0.91 1 ( EV115075 ) 0120387 Brassica napus Root library Brassic...ES Homo sapiens cDNA 5', mRNA ... 46 0.91 1 ( CF872366 ) tric002xo14.b11 T.reesei mycelial culture...4 3.6 1 ( ES282448 ) PQ037G01.XT7 non-sporulating culture of P. brassi... 44 3.6 1 ( EL772758 ) Plate_11b_G10 Hibernati...ng 13-lined squirrel brain... 44 3.6 1 ( EC618786 ) S_F11_a1_093.ab1 Rabbit heart cDNA library Or

Radiation effects on the species-specific cell sorting-out of the cellular slime molds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satow, Takashi

1976-01-01

The effects of gamma-rays irradiation on the development and the species-specific cell sorting-out of the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum, were investigated. The interphase amoebae of the organism showed extremely resistant to 60 Co gamma-rays. The percentage of non-stained cells estimated by dye staining method was more than 90% at the dose of 270 kR. The amoebae irradiated at 270 kR performed the development similar in the most respects to that of the un-irradiated amoebae except that a little portion of the fruiting bodies were abnormal and that the appearance of aggregates and slugs delayed 3 hrs. The ability of the species-specific cell sorting-out was not affected by gamma-rays irradiation at 270 kR. (auth.)

Using spectral decomposition of the signals from laurdan-derived probes to evaluate the physical state of membranes in live cells [version 2; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serge Mazeres

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background: We wanted to investigate the physical state of biological membranes in live cells under the most physiological conditions possible. Methods: For this we have been using laurdan, C-laurdan or M-laurdan to label a variety of cells, and a biphoton microscope equipped with both a thermostatic chamber and a spectral analyser. We also used a flow cytometer to quantify the 450/530 nm ratio of fluorescence emissions by whole cells. Results: We find that using all the information provided by spectral analysis to perform spectral decomposition dramatically improves the imaging resolution compared to using just two channels, as commonly used to calculate generalized polarisation (GP. Coupled to a new plugin called Fraction Mapper, developed to represent the fraction of light intensity in the first component in a stack of two images, we obtain very clear pictures of both the intra-cellular distribution of the probes, and the polarity of the cellular environments where the lipid probes are localised. Our results lead us to conclude that, in live cells kept at 37°C, laurdan, and M-laurdan to a lesser extent, have a strong tendency to accumulate in the very apolar environment of intra-cytoplasmic lipid droplets, but label the plasma membrane (PM of mammalian cells ineffectively. On the other hand, C-laurdan labels the PM very quickly and effectively, and does not detectably accumulate in lipid droplets. Conclusions: From using these probes on a variety of mammalian cell lines, as well as on cells from Drosophila and Dictyostelium discoideum, we conclude that, apart from the lipid droplets, which are very apolar, probes in intracellular membranes reveal a relatively polar and hydrated environment, suggesting a very marked dominance of liquid disordered states. PMs, on the other hand, are much more apolar, suggesting a strong dominance of liquid ordered state, which fits with their high sterol contents.

Sensory Transduction in Microorganisms 2008 Gordon Research Conference (January 2008)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ann M. Stock

2009-04-08

Research into the mechanisms involved in the sensing and responses of microorganisms to changes in their environments is currently very active in a large number of laboratories worldwide. An increasingly wide range of prokaryotic and eukaryotic species are being studied with regard to their sensing of diverse chemical and physical stimuli, including nutrients, toxins, intercellular signaling molecules, redox indicators, light, pressure, magnetic fields, and surface contact, leading to adaptive responses affecting motile behavior, gene expression and/or development. The ease of manipulation of microorganisms has facilitated application of a broad range of techniques that have provided comprehensive descriptions of cellular behavior and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Systems and their molecular components have been probed at levels ranging from the whole organism down to atomic resolution using behavioral analyses; electrophysiology; genetics; molecular biology; biochemical and biophysical characterization; structural biology; single molecule, fluorescence and cryo-electron microscopy; computational modeling; bioinformatics and genomic analyses. Several model systems such as bacterial chemotaxis and motility, fruiting body formation in Myxococcus xanthus, and motility and development in Dictyostelium discoideum have traditionally been a focus of this meeting. By providing a basis for assessment of similarities and differences in mechanisms, understanding of these pathways has advanced the study of many other microbial sensing systems. This conference aims to bring together researchers investigating different prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial systems using diverse approaches to compare data, share methodologies and ideas, and seek to understand the fundamental principles underlying sensory responses. Topic areas include: (1) Receptor Sensing and Signaling; (2) Intracellular Signaling (two-component, c-di-GMP, c-AMP, etc.); (3) Intracellular Localization and

TM9/Phg1 and SadA proteins control surface expression and stability of SibA adhesion molecules in Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Froquet, Romain; le Coadic, Marion; Perrin, Jackie; Cherix, Nathalie; Cornillon, Sophie; Cosson, Pierre

2012-02-01

TM9 proteins form a family of conserved proteins with nine transmembrane domains essential for cellular adhesion in many biological systems, but their exact role in this process remains unknown. In this study, we found that genetic inactivation of the TM9 protein Phg1A dramatically decreases the surface levels of the SibA adhesion molecule in Dictyostelium amoebae. This is due to a decrease in sibA mRNA levels, in SibA protein stability, and in SibA targeting to the cell surface. A similar phenotype was observed in cells devoid of SadA, a protein that does not belong to the TM9 family but also exhibits nine transmembrane domains and is essential for cellular adhesion. A contact site A (csA)-SibA chimeric protein comprising only the transmembrane and cytosolic domains of SibA and the extracellular domain of the Dictyostelium surface protein csA also showed reduced stability and relocalization to endocytic compartments in phg1A knockout cells. These results indicate that TM9 proteins participate in cell adhesion by controlling the levels of adhesion proteins present at the cell surface.

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U16468-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 04 3 ( GE650452 ) EST0779 Tender roots cDNA library of tea plant Ca... 44 4e-04 3 ( AU267323 ) Dictyostelium discoideum vegetati...52475 ) EST2802 Tender roots cDNA library of tea plant Ca... 54 0.007 1 ( DW079867 ) CLPX2381.b1_I19.ab1 CLP(XYZ) lettuce pere...ae, tobacco... 46 6e-08 3 ( EE147643 ) SiJWD11BDW Lausanne fire ant library Solenopsis i...6 2 ( GE652597 ) EST2924 Tender roots cDNA library of tea plant Ca... 50 6e-06 3 ( DW013875 ) w6k19_M13F Myzus persic...histosoma manso... 42 7e-06 3 ( EE128458 ) SiJWF01ACB Lausanne fire ant library Solenopsis i... 34 7e-06 4 (

Dicty_cDB: Contig-U05312-1 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 246 ) PDUts1124F05 Porcine testis cDNA library I Sus sc... 48 0.32 1 ( CT631096 ) Danio rerio EST, clone ZF_mu... 46 1.2 1 ( CV877151 ) PDUts1160G12 Porcine testis cDNA library I Sus sc... 46 1.2 1 ( CT729188 ) Danio rerio EST, clone ZF_mu... 44 4.9 1 ( CV865498 ) PDUts1018G06 Porcine testis cDNA library I Sus sc... 44 4.9 1 ( CT735187 ) Danio rerio EST, clone ZF_mu...774433 ) McClintock41_B07.ab1 Homarus EST library project ... 54 0.005 1 ( AU269391 ) Dictyostelium discoideum vegetati...1 3'. 46 1.2 1 ( CK415565 ) AUF_IpPit_32_p21 Pituitary cDNA library Ictalurus...

Spontaneous emergence of large-scale cell cycle synchronization in amoeba colonies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segota, Igor; Boulet, Laurent; Franck, David; Franck, Carl

2014-01-01

Unicellular eukaryotic amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum are generally believed to grow in their vegetative state as single cells until starvation, when their collective aspect emerges and they differentiate to form a multicellular slime mold. While major efforts continue to be aimed at their starvation-induced social aspect, our understanding of population dynamics and cell cycle in the vegetative growth phase has remained incomplete. Here we show that cell populations grown on a substrate spontaneously synchronize their cell cycles within several hours. These collective population-wide cell cycle oscillations span millimeter length scales and can be completely suppressed by washing away putative cell-secreted signals, implying signaling by means of a diffusible growth factor or mitogen. These observations give strong evidence for collective proliferation behavior in the vegetative state. (paper)

Predicting spiral wave patterns from cell properties in a model of biological self-organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Geberth, Daniel; Hütt, Marc-Thorsten

2008-09-01

In many biological systems, biological variability (i.e., systematic differences between the system components) can be expected to outrank statistical fluctuations in the shaping of self-organized patterns. In principle, the distribution of single-element properties should thus allow predicting features of such patterns. For a mathematical model of a paradigmatic and well-studied pattern formation process, spiral waves of cAMP signaling in colonies of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, we explore this possibility and observe a pronounced anticorrelation between spiral waves and cell properties (namely, the firing rate) and particularly a clustering of spiral wave tips in regions devoid of spontaneously firing (pacemaker) cells. Furthermore, we observe local inhomogeneities in the distribution of spiral chiralities, again induced by the pacemaker distribution. We show that these findings can be explained by a simple geometrical model of spiral wave generation.

Folic acid is a potent chemoattractant of free-living amoebae in a new and amazing species of protist, Vahlkampfia sp.

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Maeda, Yasuo; Mayanagi, Taira; Amagai, Aiko

2009-03-01

Folic acid (folate; vitamin Bc) is well recognized as essential for the proper metabolism of the essential amino acid methionine as well as for the synthesis of adenine and thymine. A folate deficiency has been Implicated in a wide variety of disorders from Alzheimer's disease to depression and neural tube defects. In the cellular slime molds, including Dictyostelium, vegetative growth-phase cells are known to chemotactically move toward folate that is secreted by bacterial food sources such as Escherichia coli. Intracellular folate signal transductlon, including G proteins, Ca(2+)channels, and the PIP3 pathway, has been reported in D. discoideum. To our surprise, the genuine chemoattractant(s) of free-living protozoan amoebae have remained to be determined, possibly because of lack of a pertinent method for assaying chemotaxis. We recently isolated a primitive free-living amoeba from the soil of Costa Rica and identified it as a new species of the genus Vahlkampfia belonging to Subclass Gymnamoebia, which includes Entamoeba and Acanthamoeba. The amoebae can grow and multiply quite rapidly, engulfing nearby bacteria such as E. coli. Importantly, we have demonstrated here using a quite simple but finely designed chemotaxis assay that the Vahlkampfia amoebae exhibit chemotaxis toward higher folate concentrations. Riboflavin and cyanocobalamin were also found to serve as positive chemoattractants. Among these chemoattractants, folate is of particular importance because its function seems to be evolutionarily conserved as a potent chemoattractant of amoeboid cells in a wide range of organisms as well as in the Protista and cellular slime molds.

Vesicular Trafficking Defects, Developmental Abnormalities, and Alterations in the Cellular Death Process Occur in Cell Lines that Over-Express Dictyostelium GTPase, Rab2, and Rab2 Mutants

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Katherine Maringer

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Small molecular weight GTPase Rab2 has been shown to be a resident of pre-Golgi intermediates and required for protein transport from the ER to the Golgi complex, however, the function of Rab2 in Dictyostelium has yet to be fully characterized. Using cell lines that over-express DdRab2, as well as cell lines over-expressing constitutively active (CA, and dominant negative (DN forms of the GTPase, we report a functional role in vesicular transport specifically phagocytosis, and endocytosis. Furthermore, Rab2 like other GTPases cycles between an active GTP-bound and an inactive GDP-bound state. We found that this GTP/GDP cycle for DdRab2 is crucial for normal Dictyostelium development and cell–cell adhesion. Similar to Rab5 and Rab7 in C. elegans, we found that DdRab2 plays a role in programmed cell death, possibly in the phagocytic removal of apoptotic corpses.

An autoregulatory circuit for long-range self-organization in Dictyostelium cell populations.

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Sawai, Satoshi; Thomason, Peter A; Cox, Edward C

2005-01-20

Nutrient-deprived Dictyostelium amoebae aggregate to form a multicellular structure by chemotaxis, moving towards propagating waves of cyclic AMP that are relayed from cell to cell. Organizing centres are not formed by founder cells, but are dynamic entities consisting of cores of outwardly rotating spiral waves that self-organize in a homogeneous cell population. Spiral waves are ubiquitously observed in chemical reactions as well as in biological systems. Although feedback control of spiral waves in spatially extended chemical reactions has been demonstrated in recent years, the mechanism by which control is achieved in living systems is unknown. Here we show that mutants of the cyclic AMP/protein kinase A pathway show periodic signalling, but fail to organize coherent long-range wave territories, owing to the appearance of numerous spiral cores. A theoretical model suggests that autoregulation of cell excitability mediated by protein kinase A acts to optimize the number of signalling centres.

Sequence analysis of RNase MRP RNA reveals its origination from eukaryotic RNase P RNA

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yanglong; Stribinskis, Vilius; Ramos, Kenneth S.; Li, Yong

2006-01-01

RNase MRP is a eukaryote-specific endoribonuclease that generates RNA primers for mitochondrial DNA replication and processes precursor rRNA. RNase P is a ubiquitous endoribonuclease that cleaves precursor tRNA transcripts to produce their mature 5′ termini. We found extensive sequence homology of catalytic domains and specificity domains between their RNA subunits in many organisms. In Candida glabrata, the internal loop of helix P3 is 100% conserved between MRP and P RNAs. The helix P8 of MRP RNA from microsporidia Encephalitozoon cuniculi is identical to that of P RNA. Sequence homology can be widely spread over the whole molecule of MRP RNA and P RNA, such as those from Dictyostelium discoideum. These conserved nucleotides between the MRP and P RNAs strongly support the hypothesis that the MRP RNA is derived from the P RNA molecule in early eukaryote evolution. PMID:16540690

Video-rate confocal microscopy for single-molecule imaging in live cells and superresolution fluorescence imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jinwoo; Miyanaga, Yukihiro; Ueda, Masahiro; Hohng, Sungchul

2012-10-17

There is no confocal microscope optimized for single-molecule imaging in live cells and superresolution fluorescence imaging. By combining the swiftness of the line-scanning method and the high sensitivity of wide-field detection, we have developed a, to our knowledge, novel confocal fluorescence microscope with a good optical-sectioning capability (1.0 μm), fast frame rates (fluorescence detection efficiency. Full compatibility of the microscope with conventional cell-imaging techniques allowed us to do single-molecule imaging with a great ease at arbitrary depths of live cells. With the new microscope, we monitored diffusion motion of fluorescently labeled cAMP receptors of Dictyostelium discoideum at both the basal and apical surfaces and obtained superresolution fluorescence images of microtubules of COS-7 cells at depths in the range 0-85 μm from the surface of a coverglass. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A long-range foresight for the medical application of apoptosis specifically induced by Dd-MRP4, Dictyostelium mitochondrial ribosomal protein S4, to cancer therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, Yasuo

2015-02-10

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is regarded as ultimate differentiation of the cell. We have recently demonstrated that a targeted delivery of Dd-MRP4 (Dictyostelium mitochondrial ribosomal protein S4) suppresses specifically the proliferation of the human cancer cells, by inducing their apoptotic cell death (Chida et al., 2014, doi:10.1186/1475-2867-14-56). This amazing fact was discovered, simply based on the finding that Dd-MRP4 expression is absolutely required for transition of Dictyostelium cells from growth to differentiation (Chida et al., 2008, doi:10.1186/1471-2156-9-25; Maeda et al., 2013, doi:10.3390/biom3040943). Dd-MRP4 protein has quite unique structural characters, in that it is highly basic (pI: about 11.5) and interestingly has several nuclear-localization signals within the molecule. In this review, we introduce briefly the efficacy of several apoptosis-inducing substances reported thus far for cancer therapy, and speculate the possible mechanisms, by which apoptosis is specifically induced by Dd-MRP4, on the basis of its structural uniqueness. We also discuss several issues to be solved for the medical application of ectopically expressed Dd-MRP4 in human cancer cells.

Lithium ions induce prestalk-associated gene expression and inhibit prespore gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters, Dorien J.M.; Lookeren Campagne, Michiel M. van; Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Spek, Wouter; Schaap, Pauline

1989-01-01

We investigated the effect of Li+ on two types of cyclic AMP-regulated gene expression and on basal and cyclic AMP-stimulated inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) levels. Li+ effectively inhibits cyclic AMP-induced prespore gene expression, half-maximal inhibition occurring at about 2mM-LiCl.

Local and global measures of shape dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Driscoll, Meghan K; Losert, Wolfgang; Fourkas, John T

2011-01-01

The shape and motion of cells can yield significant insights into the internal operation of a cell. We present a simple, yet versatile, framework that provides multiple metrics of cell shape and cell shape dynamics. Analysis of migrating Dictyostelium discoideum cells shows that global and local metrics highlight distinct cellular processes. For example, a global measure of shape shows rhythmic oscillations suggestive of contractions, whereas a local measure of shape shows wave-like dynamics indicative of protrusions. From a local measure of dynamic shape, or boundary motion, we extract the times and locations of protrusions and retractions. We find that protrusions zigzag, while retractions remain roughly stationary along the boundary. We do not observe any temporal relationship between protrusions and retractions. Our analysis framework also provides metrics of the boundary as whole. For example, as the cell speed increases, we find that the cell shape becomes more elongated. We also observe that while extensions and retractions have similar areas, their shapes differ

Analyzing the spatial positioning of nuclei in polynuclear giant cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stange, Maike; Hintsche, Marius; Sachse, Kirsten; Gerhardt, Matthias; Beta, Carsten; Valleriani, Angelo

2017-01-01

How cells establish and maintain a well-defined size is a fundamental question of cell biology. Here we investigated to what extent the microtubule cytoskeleton can set a predefined cell size, independent of an enclosing cell membrane. We used electropulse-induced cell fusion to form giant multinuclear cells of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum . Based on dual-color confocal imaging of cells that expressed fluorescent markers for the cell nucleus and the microtubules, we determined the subcellular distributions of nuclei and centrosomes in the giant cells. Our two- and three-dimensional imaging results showed that the positions of nuclei in giant cells do not fall onto a regular lattice. However, a comparison with model predictions for random positioning showed that the subcellular arrangement of nuclei maintains a low but still detectable degree of ordering. This can be explained by the steric requirements of the microtubule cytoskeleton, as confirmed by the effect of a microtubule degrading drug. (paper)

Contact enhancement of locomotion in spreading cell colonies

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D'Alessandro, Joseph; Solon, Alexandre P.; Hayakawa, Yoshinori; Anjard, Christophe; Detcheverry, François; Rieu, Jean-Paul; Rivière, Charlotte

2017-10-01

The dispersal of cells from an initially constrained location is a crucial aspect of many physiological phenomena, ranging from morphogenesis to tumour spreading. In such processes, cell-cell interactions may deeply alter the motion of single cells, and in turn the collective dynamics. While contact phenomena like contact inhibition of locomotion are known to come into play at high densities, here we focus on the little explored case of non-cohesive cells at moderate densities. We fully characterize the spreading of micropatterned colonies of Dictyostelium discoideum cells from the complete set of individual trajectories. From data analysis and simulation of an elementary model, we demonstrate that contact interactions act to speed up the early population spreading by promoting individual cells to a state of higher persistence, which constitutes an as-yet unreported contact enhancement of locomotion. Our findings also suggest that the current modelling paradigm of memoryless active particles may need to be extended to account for the history-dependent internal state of motile cells.

Analysis of residuals from enzyme kinetic and protein folding experiments in the presence of correlated experimental noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzmic, Petr; Lorenz, Thorsten; Reinstein, Jochen

2009-12-01

Experimental data from continuous enzyme assays or protein folding experiments often contain hundreds, or even thousands, of densely spaced data points. When the sampling interval is extremely short, the experimental data points might not be statistically independent. The resulting neighborhood correlation invalidates important theoretical assumptions of nonlinear regression analysis. As a consequence, certain goodness-of-fit criteria, such as the runs-of-signs test and the autocorrelation function, might indicate a systematic lack of fit even if the experiment does agree very well with the underlying theoretical model. A solution to this problem is to analyze only a subset of the residuals of fit, such that any excessive neighborhood correlation is eliminated. Substrate kinetics of the HIV protease and the unfolding kinetics of UMP/CMP kinase, a globular protein from Dictyostelium discoideum, serve as two illustrative examples. A suitable data-reduction algorithm has been incorporated into software DYNAFIT [P. Kuzmic, Anal. Biochem. 237 (1996) 260-273], freely available to all academic researchers from http://www.biokin.com.

Analyzing the spatial positioning of nuclei in polynuclear giant cells

Science.gov (United States)

Stange, Maike; Hintsche, Marius; Sachse, Kirsten; Gerhardt, Matthias; Valleriani, Angelo; Beta, Carsten

2017-11-01

How cells establish and maintain a well-defined size is a fundamental question of cell biology. Here we investigated to what extent the microtubule cytoskeleton can set a predefined cell size, independent of an enclosing cell membrane. We used electropulse-induced cell fusion to form giant multinuclear cells of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Based on dual-color confocal imaging of cells that expressed fluorescent markers for the cell nucleus and the microtubules, we determined the subcellular distributions of nuclei and centrosomes in the giant cells. Our two- and three-dimensional imaging results showed that the positions of nuclei in giant cells do not fall onto a regular lattice. However, a comparison with model predictions for random positioning showed that the subcellular arrangement of nuclei maintains a low but still detectable degree of ordering. This can be explained by the steric requirements of the microtubule cytoskeleton, as confirmed by the effect of a microtubule degrading drug.

Proteome-wide dataset supporting the study of ancient metazoan macromolecular complexes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sadhna Phanse

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Our analysis examines the conservation of multiprotein complexes among metazoa through use of high resolution biochemical fractionation and precision mass spectrometry applied to soluble cell extracts from 5 representative model organisms Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Mus musculus, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, and Homo sapiens. The interaction network obtained from the data was validated globally in 4 distant species (Xenopus laevis, Nematostella vectensis, Dictyostelium discoideum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and locally by targeted affinity-purification experiments. Here we provide details of our massive set of supporting biochemical fractionation data available via ProteomeXchange (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive/projects/PXD002319-http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive/projects/PXD002328, PPIs via BioGRID (185267; and interaction network projections via (http://metazoa.med.utoronto.ca made fully accessible to allow further exploration. The datasets here are related to the research article on metazoan macromolecular complexes in Nature [1]. Keywords: Proteomics, Metazoa, Protein complexes, Biochemical, Fractionation

Evidence that a glycolipid tail anchors antigen 117 to the plasma membrane of Dictyostelium discoideum cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadeghi, H.; Da Silva, A.M.; Klein, C.

1988-01-01

The authors describe the biochemical features of the putative cell cohesion molecule antigen 117, indicating that it is anchored to the plasma membrane by a glycolipid tail. Antigen 117 can be radiolabeled with [ 3 H]myristate, [ 3 H]palmitate, and [ 14 C]ethanolamine. The fatty acid label is removed by periodate oxidation and nitrous acid deamination, indicating that the fatty acid is attached to the protein by a structure containing carbohydrate and an unsubstituted glucosamine. As cells develop aggregation competence, the antigen is released from the cell surface in a soluble form that can still be radiolabeled with [ 14 C]ethanolamine but not with [ 3 H]myristate of [ 3 H]-palmitate. The molecular weight of the released antigen is similar to that found in the plasma membrane, but it preferentially partitions in Triton X-114 as a hydrophilic, as opposed to a hydrophobic, protein. Plasma membranes contain the enzyme activity responsible for the release of the antigen in a soluble form

A novel Ras-interacting protein required for chemotaxis and cyclic adenosine monophosphate signal relay in Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, S; Parent, C A; Insall, R; Firtel, R A

1999-09-01

We have identified a novel Ras-interacting protein from Dictyostelium, RIP3, whose function is required for both chemotaxis and the synthesis and relay of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) chemoattractant signal. rip3 null cells are unable to aggregate and lack receptor activation of adenylyl cyclase but are able, in response to cAMP, to induce aggregation-stage, postaggregative, and cell-type-specific gene expression in suspension culture. In addition, rip3 null cells are unable to properly polarize in a cAMP gradient and chemotaxis is highly impaired. We demonstrate that cAMP stimulation of guanylyl cyclase, which is required for chemotaxis, is reduced approximately 60% in rip3 null cells. This reduced activation of guanylyl cyclase may account, in part, for the defect in chemotaxis. When cells are pulsed with cAMP for 5 h to mimic the endogenous cAMP oscillations that occur in wild-type strains, the cells will form aggregates, most of which, however, arrest at the mound stage. Unlike the response seen in wild-type strains, the rip3 null cell aggregates that form under these experimental conditions are very small, which is probably due to the rip3 null cell chemotaxis defect. Many of the phenotypes of the rip3 null cell, including the inability to activate adenylyl cyclase in response to cAMP and defects in chemotaxis, are very similar to those of strains carrying a disruption of the gene encoding the putative Ras exchange factor AleA. We demonstrate that aleA null cells also exhibit a defect in cAMP-mediated activation of guanylyl cyclase similar to that of rip3 null cells. A double-knockout mutant (rip3/aleA null cells) exhibits a further reduction in receptor activation of guanylyl cyclase, and these cells display almost no cell polarization or movement in cAMP gradients. As RIP3 preferentially interacts with an activated form of the Dictyostelium Ras protein RasG, which itself is important for cell movement, we propose that RIP3 and AleA are components of a Ras

High fidelity information processing in folic acid chemotaxis of Dictyostelium amoebae.

Science.gov (United States)

Segota, Igor; Mong, Surin; Neidich, Eitan; Rachakonda, Archana; Lussenhop, Catherine J; Franck, Carl

2013-11-06

Living cells depend upon the detection of chemical signals for their existence. Eukaryotic cells can sense a concentration difference as low as a few per cent across their bodies. This process was previously suggested to be limited by the receptor-ligand binding fluctuations. Here, we first determine the chemotaxis response of Dictyostelium cells to static folic acid gradients and show that they can significantly exceed this sensitivity, responding to gradients as shallow as 0.2% across the cell body. Second, using a previously developed information theory framework, we compare the total information gained about the gradient (based on the cell response) to its upper limit: the information gained at the receptor-ligand binding step. We find that the model originally applied to cAMP sensing fails as demonstrated by the violation of the data processing inequality, i.e. the total information exceeds the information at the receptor-ligand binding step. We propose an extended model with multiple known receptor types and with cells allowed to perform several independent measurements of receptor occupancy. This does not violate the data processing inequality and implies the receptor-ligand binding noise dominates both for low- and high-chemoattractant concentrations. We also speculate that the interplay between exploration and exploitation is used as a strategy for accurate sensing of otherwise unmeasurable levels of a chemoattractant.

Insecticide resistance and intracellular proteases.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, Richard M

2017-12-01

Pesticide resistance is an example of evolution in action with mechanisms of resistance arising from mutations or increased expression of intrinsic genes. Intracellular proteases have a key role in maintaining healthy cells and in responding to stressors such as pesticides. Insecticide-resistant insects have constitutively elevated intracellular protease activity compared to corresponding susceptible strains. This increase was shown for some cases originally through biochemical enzyme studies and subsequently putatively by transcriptomics and proteomics methods. Upregulation and expression of proteases have been characterised in resistant strains of some insect species, including mosquitoes. This increase in proteolysis results in more degradation products (amino acids) of intracellular proteins. These may be utilised in the resistant strain to better protect the cell from stress. There are changes in insect intracellular proteases shortly after insecticide exposure, suggesting a role in stress response. The use of protease and proteasome inhibitors or peptide mimetics as synergists with improved application techniques and through protease gene knockdown using RNA interference (possibly expressed in crop plants) may be potential pest management strategies, in situations where elevated intracellular proteases are relevant. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

PKC-Mediated ZYG1 Phosphorylation Induces Fusion of Myoblasts as well as of Dictyostelium Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aiko Amagai

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We have previously demonstrated that a novel protein ZYG1 induces sexual cell fusion (zygote formation of Dictyostelium cells. In the process of cell fusion, involvements of signal transduction pathways via Ca2+ and PKC (protein kinase C have been suggested because zygote formation is greatly enhanced by PKC activators. In fact, there are several deduced sites phosphorylated by PKC in ZYG1 protein. Thereupon, we designed the present work to examine whether or not ZYG1 is actually phosphorylated by PKC and localized at the regions of cell-cell contacts where cell fusion occurs. These were ascertained, suggesting that ZYG1 might be the target protein for PKC. A humanized version of zyg1 cDNA (mzyg1 was introduced into myoblasts to know if ZYG1 is also effective in cell fusion of myoblasts. Quite interestingly, enforced expression of ZYG1 in myoblasts was found to induce markedly their cell fusion, thus strongly suggesting the existence of a common signaling pathway for cell fusion beyond the difference of species.

A first glimpse at the transcriptome of Physarum polycephalum

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Meyer Sonja

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physarum polycephalum, an acellular plasmodial species belongs to the amoebozoa, a major branch in eukaryote evolution. Its complex life cycle and rich cell biology is reflected in more than 2500 publications on various aspects of its biochemistry, developmental biology, cytoskeleton, and cell motility. It now can be genetically manipulated, opening up the possibility of targeted functional analysis in this organism. Methods Here we describe a large fraction of the transcribed genes by sequencing a cDNA library from the plasmodial stage of the developmental cycle. Results In addition to the genes for the basic metabolism we found an unexpected large number of genes involved in sophisticated signaling networks and identified potential receptors for environmental signals such as light. In accordance with the various developmental options of the plasmodial cell we found that many P. polycephalum genes are alternatively spliced. Using 30 donor and 30 acceptor sites we determined the splicing signatures of this species. Comparisons to various other organisms including Dictyostelium, the closest relative, revealed that roughly half of the transcribed genes have no detectable counterpart, thus potentially defining species specific adaptations. On the other hand, we found highly conserved proteins, which are maintained in the metazoan lineage, but absent in D. discoideum or plants. These genes arose possibly in the last common ancestor of Amoebozoa and Metazoa but were lost in D. discoideum. Conclusion This work provides an analysis of up to half of the protein coding genes of Physarum polycephalum. The definition of splice motifs together with the description of alternatively spliced genes will provide a valuable resource for the ongoing genome project.

Cloning and partial characterization of Entamoeba histolytica PTPases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrera-Rodriguez, Sara Elisa; Baylon-Pacheco, Lidia; Talamas-Rohana, Patricia; Rosales-Encina, Jose Luis

2006-01-01

Reversible protein tyrosine phosphorylation is an essential signal transduction mechanism that regulates cell growth, differentiation, mobility, metabolism, and survival. Two genes coding for protein tyrosine phophatases, designed EhPTPA and EhPTPB, were cloned from Entamoeba histolytica. EhPTPA and EhPTPB proteins showed amino acid sequence identity of 37%, both EhPTPases showed similarity with Dictyostelium discoideum and vertebrate trasmembranal PTPases. mRNA levels of EhPTPA gene are up-regulated in trophozoites recovered after 96 h of liver abscess development in the hamster model. EhPTPA protein expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein (GST::EhPTPA) showed enzymatic activity with p-nitrophenylphosphate as a substrate and was inhibited by PTPase inhibitors vanadate and molybdate. GST::EhPTPA protein selectively dephosphorylates a 130 kDa phosphotyrosine-containing protein in trophozoite cell lysates. EhPTPA gene codifies for a 43 kDa native protein. Up-regulation of EhPTPA expression suggests that EhPTPA may play an important role in the adaptive response of trophozoites during amoebic liver abscess development

Epilepsy research methods update: Understanding the causes of epileptic seizures and identifying new treatments using non-mammalian model organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunliffe, Vincent T; Baines, Richard A; Giachello, Carlo N G; Lin, Wei-Hsiang; Morgan, Alan; Reuber, Markus; Russell, Claire; Walker, Matthew C; Williams, Robin S B

2015-01-01

This narrative review is intended to introduce clinicians treating epilepsy and researchers familiar with mammalian models of epilepsy to experimentally tractable, non-mammalian research models used in epilepsy research, ranging from unicellular eukaryotes to more complex multicellular organisms. The review focuses on four model organisms: the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the zebrafish Danio rerio. We consider recent discoveries made with each model organism and discuss the importance of these advances for the understanding and treatment of epilepsy in humans. The relative ease with which mutations in genes of interest can be produced and studied quickly and cheaply in these organisms, together with their anatomical and physiological simplicity in comparison to mammalian species, are major advantages when researchers are trying to unravel complex disease mechanisms. The short generation times of most of these model organisms also mean that they lend themselves particularly conveniently to the investigation of drug effects or epileptogenic processes across the lifecourse. Copyright © 2014 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiation-inducing factor-1 suppresses gene expression of cyclin D1 in tumor cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasmin, Tania; Takahashi-Yanaga, Fumi; Mori, Jun; Miwa, Yoshikazu; Hirata, Masato; Watanabe, Yutaka; Morimoto, Sachio; Sasaguri, Toshiyuki

2005-01-01

To determine the mechanism by which differentiation-inducing factor-1 (DIF-1), a morphogen of Dictyostelium discoideum, inhibits tumor cell proliferation, we examined the effect of DIF-1 on the gene expression of cyclin D1. DIF-1 strongly reduced the expression of cyclin D1 mRNA and correspondingly decreased the amount of β-catenin in HeLa cells and squamous cell carcinoma cells. DIF-1 activated glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and inhibition of GSK-3β attenuated the DIF-1-induced β-catenin degradation, indicating the involvement of GSK-3β in this effect. Moreover, DIF-1 reduced the activities of T-cell factor (TCF)/lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF) reporter plasmid and a reporter gene driven by the human cyclin D1 promoter. Eliminating the TCF/LEF consensus site from the cyclin D1 promoter diminished the effect of DIF-1. These results suggest that DIF-1 inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling, resulting in the suppression of cyclin D1 promoter activity

New experimental therapies for status epilepticus in preclinical development.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Matthew C; Williams, Robin S B

2015-08-01

Starting with the established antiepileptic drug, valproic acid, we have taken a novel approach to develop new antiseizure drugs that may be effective in status epilepticus. We first identified that valproic acid has a potent effect on a biochemical pathway, the phosphoinositide pathway, in Dictyostelium discoideum, and we demonstrated that this may relate to its mechanism of action against seizures in mammalian systems. Through screening in this pathway, we have identified a large array of fatty acids and fatty acid derivatives with antiseizure potential. These were then evaluated in an in vitro mammalian system. One compound that we identified through this process is a major constituent of the ketogenic diet, strongly arguing that it may be the fatty acids that are mediating the antiseizure effect of this diet. We further tested two of the more potent compounds in an in vivo model of status epilepticus and demonstrated that they were more effective than valproic acid in treating the status epilepticus. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Status Epilepticus". Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ras proteins have multiple functions in vegetative cells of Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolourani, Parvin; Spiegelman, George; Weeks, Gerald

2010-11-01

During the aggregation of Dictyostelium cells, signaling through RasG is more important in regulating cyclic AMP (cAMP) chemotaxis, whereas signaling through RasC is more important in regulating the cAMP relay. However, RasC is capable of substituting for RasG for chemotaxis, since rasG⁻ cells are only partially deficient in chemotaxis, whereas rasC⁻/rasG⁻ cells are totally incapable of chemotaxis. In this study we have examined the possible functional overlap between RasG and RasC in vegetative cells by comparing the vegetative cell properties of rasG⁻, rasC⁻, and rasC⁻/rasG⁻ cells. In addition, since RasD, a protein not normally found in vegetative cells, is expressed in vegetative rasG⁻ and rasC⁻/rasG⁻ cells and appears to partially compensate for the absence of RasG, we have also examined the possible functional overlap between RasG and RasD by comparing the properties of rasG⁻ and rasC⁻/rasG⁻ cells with those of the mutant cells expressing higher levels of RasD. The results of these two lines of investigation show that RasD is capable of totally substituting for RasG for cytokinesis and growth in suspension, whereas RasC is without effect. In contrast, for chemotaxis to folate, RasC is capable of partially substituting for RasG, but RasD is totally without effect. Finally, neither RasC nor RasD is able to substitute for the role that RasG plays in regulating actin distribution and random motility. These specificity studies therefore delineate three distinct and none-overlapping functions for RasG in vegetative cells.

Imaging and controlling intracellular reactions: Lysosome transport as a function of diameter and the intracellular synthesis of conducting polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Christine

2014-03-01

Eukaryotic cells are the ultimate complex environment with intracellular chemical reactions regulated by the local cellular environment. For example, reactants are sequestered into specific organelles to control local concentration and pH, motor proteins transport reactants within the cell, and intracellular vesicles undergo fusion to bring reactants together. Current research in the Payne Lab in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech is aimed at understanding and utilizing this complex environment to control intracellular chemical reactions. This will be illustrated using two examples, intracellular transport as a function of organelle diameter and the intracellular synthesis of conducting polymers. Using single particle tracking fluorescence microscopy, we measured the intracellular transport of lysosomes, membrane-bound organelles, as a function of diameter as they underwent transport in living cells. Both ATP-dependent active transport and diffusion were examined. As expected, diffusion scales with the diameter of the lysosome. However, active transport is unaffected suggesting that motor proteins are insensitive to cytosolic drag. In a second example, we utilize intracellular complexity, specifically the distinct micro-environments of different organelles, to carry out chemical reactions. We show that catalase, found in the peroxisomes of cells, can be used to catalyze the polymerization of the conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS. More importantly, we have found that a range of iron-containing biomolecules are suitable catalysts with different iron-containing biomolecules leading to different polymer properties. These experiments illustrate the advantage of intracellular complexity for the synthesis of novel materials.

Nanoparticles for intracellular-targeted drug delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulo, Cristiana S O; Pires das Neves, Ricardo; Ferreira, Lino S

2011-01-01

Nanoparticles (NPs) are very promising for the intracellular delivery of anticancer and immunomodulatory drugs, stem cell differentiation biomolecules and cell activity modulators. Although initial studies in the area of intracellular drug delivery have been performed in the delivery of DNA, there is an increasing interest in the use of other molecules to modulate cell activity. Herein, we review the latest advances in the intracellular-targeted delivery of short interference RNA, proteins and small molecules using NPs. In most cases, the drugs act at different cellular organelles and therefore the drug-containing NPs should be directed to precise locations within the cell. This will lead to the desired magnitude and duration of the drug effects. The spatial control in the intracellular delivery might open new avenues to modulate cell activity while avoiding side-effects.

Efficient intracellular delivery and improved biocompatibility of colloidal silver nanoparticles towards intracellular SERS immuno-sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhardwaj, Vinay; Srinivasan, Supriya; McGoron, Anthony J

2015-06-21

High throughput intracellular delivery strategies, electroporation, passive and TATHA2 facilitated diffusion of colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are investigated for cellular toxicity and uptake using state-of-art analytical techniques. The TATHA2 facilitated approach efficiently delivered high payload with no toxicity, pre-requisites for intracellular applications of plasmonic metal nanoparticles (PMNPs) in sensing and therapeutics.

MR imaging of intracellular and extracellular deoxyhemoglobin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janick, P.A.; Grossman, R.I.; Asakura, T.

1989-01-01

MR imaging was performed on varying concentrations of intracellular and extracellular deoxyhemoglobin as well as varying proportions of deoxyhemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin in vitro at 1.5T with use of standard spin-echo and gradient-refocused spin sequences. This study indicates that susceptibility-induced T2 shortening occurs over a broad range of intracellular deoxyhemoglobin concentrations (maximal at hematocrits between 20% and 45%), reflecting diffusional effects at the cellular level. T2* gradient-echo imaging enhances the observed hypointensity in images of intracellular deoxyhemoglobin. The characteristic MR appearance of acute hemotomas can be modeled by the behavior of intracellular and extracellular deoxyhemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin

Single-cell intracellular nano-pH probes†

OpenAIRE

Özel, Rıfat Emrah; Lohith, Akshar; Mak, Wai Han; Pourmand, Nader

2015-01-01

Within a large clonal population, such as cancerous tumor entities, cells are not identical, and the differences between intracellular pH levels of individual cells may be important indicators of heterogeneity that could be relevant in clinical practice, especially in personalized medicine. Therefore, the detection of the intracellular pH at the single-cell level is of great importance to identify and study outlier cells. However, quantitative and real-time measurements of the intracellular p...

Intracellular Drug Bioavailability: Effect of Neutral Lipids and Phospholipids.

Science.gov (United States)

Treyer, Andrea; Mateus, André; Wiśniewski, Jacek R; Boriss, Hinnerk; Matsson, Pär; Artursson, Per

2018-06-04

Intracellular unbound drug concentrations are the pharmacologically relevant concentrations for targets inside cells. Intracellular drug concentrations are determined by multiple processes, including the extent of drug binding to intracellular structures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of neutral lipid (NL) and phospholipid (PL) levels on intracellular drug disposition. The NL and/or PL content of 3T3-L1 cells were enhanced, resulting in phenotypes (in terms of morphology and proteome) reminiscent of adipocytes (high NL and PL) or mild phospholipidosis (only high PL). Intracellular bioavailability ( F ic ) was then determined for 23 drugs in these cellular models and in untreated wild-type cells. A higher PL content led to higher intracellular drug binding and a lower F ic . The induction of NL did not further increase drug binding but led to altered F ic due to increased lysosomal pH. Further, there was a good correlation between binding to beads coated with pure PL and intracellular drug binding. In conclusion, our results suggest that PL content is a major determinant of drug binding in cells and that PL beads may constitute a simple alternative to estimating this parameter. Further, the presence of massive amounts of intracellular NLs did not influence drug binding significantly.

Scenario-targeted toxicity assessment through multiple endpoint bioassays in a soil posing unacceptable environmental risk according to regulatory screening values.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Ruiz, A; Etxebarria, J; Boatti, L; Marigómez, I

2015-09-01

Lanestosa is a chronically polluted site (derelict mine) where the soil (Lanestosa (LA) soil) exceeds screening values (SVs) of regulatory policies in force (Basque Country; Europe) for Zn, Pb and Cd. A scenario-targeted toxicity assessment was carried out on the basis of a multi-endpoint bioassay approach. Acute and chronic toxicity bioassays were conducted with selected test species (Vibrio fischeri, Dictyostelium discoideum, Lactuca sativa, Raphanus sativus and Eisenia fetida) in combination with chemical analysis of soils and elutriates and with bioaccumulation studies in earthworms. Besides, the toxicity profile was compared with that of the mine runoff (RO) soil and of a fresh artificially polluted soil (LAAPS) resembling LA soil pollutant profile. Extractability studies in LA soil revealed that Pb, Zn and Cd were highly available for exchange and/or release into the environment. Indeed, Pb and Zn were accumulated in earthworms and LA soil resulted to be toxic. Soil respiration, V. fischeri, vegetative and developmental cycles of D. discoideum and survival and juvenile production of E. fetida were severely affected. These results confirmed that LA soil had unacceptable environmental risk and demanded intervention. In contrast, although Pb and Zn concentrations in RO soil revealed also unacceptable risk, both metal extractability and toxicity were much lower than in LA soil. Thus, within the polluted site, the need for intervention varied between areas that posed dissimilar risk. Besides, since LAAPS, with a high exchangeable metal fraction, was the most toxic, ageing under in situ natural conditions seemingly contributed to attenuate LA soil risk. As a whole, combining multi-endpoint bioassays with scenario-targeted analysis (including leaching and ageing) provides reliable risk assessment in soils posing unacceptable environmental risk according to SVs, which is useful to optimise the required intervention measures.

Enhanced intracellular delivery and antibacterial efficacy of enrofloxacin-loaded docosanoic acid solid lipid nanoparticles against intracellular Salmonella.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Shuyu; Yang, Fei; Tao, Yanfei; Chen, Dongmei; Qu, Wei; Huang, Lingli; Liu, Zhenli; Pan, Yuanhu; Yuan, Zonghui

2017-01-23

Enrofloxacin-loaded docosanoic acid solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) with different physicochemical properties were developed to enhance activity against intracellular Salmonella. Their cellular uptake, intracellular elimination and antibacterial activity were studied in RAW 264.7 cells. During the experimental period, SLN-encapsulated enrofloxacin accumulated in the cells approximately 27.06-37.71 times more efficiently than free drugs at the same extracellular concentration. After incubation for 0.5 h, the intracellular enrofloxacin was enhanced from 0.336 to 1.147 μg/mg of protein as the sizes of nanoparticles were increased from 150 to 605 nm, and from 0.960 to 1.147 μg/mg of protein when the charge was improved from -8.1 to -24.9 mv. The cellular uptake was more significantly influenced by the size than it was by the charge, and was not affected by whether the charge was positive or negative. The elimination of optimal SLN-encapsulated enrofloxacin from the cells was significantly slower than that of free enrofloxacin after removing extracellular drug. The inhibition effect against intracellular Salmonella CVCC541 of 0.24 and 0.06 μg/mL encapsulated enrofloxacin was stronger than 0.6 μg/mL free drug after all of the incubation periods and at 48 h, respectively. Docosanoic acid SLNs are thus considered as a promising carrier for intracellular bacterial treatment.

Self-organization of intracellular gradients during mitosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuller Brian G

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Gradients are used in a number of biological systems to transmit spatial information over a range of distances. The best studied are morphogen gradients where information is transmitted over many cell lengths. Smaller mitotic gradients reflect the need to organize several distinct events along the length of the mitotic spindle. The intracellular gradients that characterize mitosis are emerging as important regulatory paradigms. Intracellular gradients utilize intrinsic auto-regulatory feedback loops and diffusion to establish stable regions of activity within the mitotic cytosol. We review three recently described intracellular mitotic gradients. The Ran GTP gradient with its elaborate cascade of nuclear transport receptors and cargoes is the best characterized, yet the dynamics underlying the robust gradient of Ran-GTP have received little attention. Gradients of phosphorylation have been observed on Aurora B kinase substrates both before and after anaphase onset. In both instances the phosphorylation gradient appears to result from a soluble gradient of Aurora B kinase activity. Regulatory properties that support gradient formation are highlighted. Intracellular activity gradients that regulate localized mitotic events bare several hallmarks of self-organizing biologic systems that designate spatial information during pattern formation. Intracellular pattern formation represents a new paradigm in mitotic regulation.

Epithelial Cell Gene Expression Induced by Intracellular Staphylococcus aureus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianglu Li

2009-01-01

Full Text Available HEp-2 cell monolayers were cocultured with intracellular Staphylococcus aureus, and changes in gene expression were profiled using DNA microarrays. Intracellular S. aureus affected genes involved in cellular stress responses, signal transduction, inflammation, apoptosis, fibrosis, and cholesterol biosynthesis. Transcription of stress response and signal transduction-related genes including atf3, sgk, map2k1, map2k3, arhb, and arhe was increased. In addition, elevated transcription of proinflammatory genes was observed for tnfa, il1b, il6, il8, cxcl1, ccl20, cox2, and pai1. Genes involved in proapoptosis and fibrosis were also affected at transcriptional level by intracellular S. aureus. Notably, intracellular S. aureus induced strong transcriptional down-regulation of several cholesterol biosynthesis genes. These results suggest that epithelial cells respond to intracellular S. aureus by inducing genes affecting immunity and in repairing damage caused by the organism, and are consistent with the possibility that the organism exploits an intracellular environment to subvert host immunity and promote colonization.

HYPERTHERMIA, INTRACELLULAR FREE CALCIUM AND CALCIUM IONOPHORES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

STEGE, GJJ; WIERENGA, PK; KAMPINGA, HH; KONINGS, AWT

1993-01-01

It is shown that heat-induced increase of intracellular calcium does not correlate with hyperthermic cell killing. Six different cell lines were investigated; in four (EAT, HeLa S3, L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S) heat treatments killing 90% of the cells did not affect the levels of intracellular free

Characterization of Leptin Intracellular Trafficking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Walum

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Leptin is produced by adipose tissue, and its concentration in plasma is related to the amount of fat in the body. The leptin receptor (OBR is a member of the class I cytokine receptor family and several different isoforms, produced by alternative mRNA splicing are found in many tissues, including the hypothalamus. The two predominant isoforms includes a long form (OBRl with an intracellular domain of 303 amino acids and a shorter form (OBRs with an intracellular domain of 34 amino acids. Since OBRl is mainly expressed in the hypotalamus, it has been suggested to be the main signalling form. The peripheral production of leptin by adipocyte tissue and its effects as a signal of satiety in the central nervous system imply that leptin gains access to regions of the brain regulating in energy balance by crossing the blood-brain barrier. In an attempt to characterize the intracellular transport of leptin, we have followed binding internalization and degradation of leptin in HEK293 cells. We have also monitored the intracellular transport pathway of fluorescent conjugated leptin in HEK293 cells. Phenylarsine oxide, a general inhibitor of endocytosis, as well as incubation at mild hypertonic conditions, prevented the uptake of leptin, confirming a receptor-mediated internalization process. When internalized, 125I-leptin was rapidly accumulated inside the cells and reached a maximum after 10 min. After 70 minutes about 40-50% of total counts in each time point were found in the medium as TCA-soluble material. Leptin sorting, at the level of early endosomes, did not seem to involve recycling endosomes, since FITC-leptin was sorted from Cy3- transferrin containing compartments at 37°C. At 45 minutes of continuos internalization, FITC-leptin appeared mainly accumulated in late endocytic structures colocalizing with internalized rhodamine coupled epidermial growth factor (EGF and the lysosomal marker protein lamp-1. The transport of leptin was also shown

Stochastic models of intracellular transport

KAUST Repository

Bressloff, Paul C.

2013-01-09

The interior of a living cell is a crowded, heterogenuous, fluctuating environment. Hence, a major challenge in modeling intracellular transport is to analyze stochastic processes within complex environments. Broadly speaking, there are two basic mechanisms for intracellular transport: passive diffusion and motor-driven active transport. Diffusive transport can be formulated in terms of the motion of an overdamped Brownian particle. On the other hand, active transport requires chemical energy, usually in the form of adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis, and can be direction specific, allowing biomolecules to be transported long distances; this is particularly important in neurons due to their complex geometry. In this review a wide range of analytical methods and models of intracellular transport is presented. In the case of diffusive transport, narrow escape problems, diffusion to a small target, confined and single-file diffusion, homogenization theory, and fractional diffusion are considered. In the case of active transport, Brownian ratchets, random walk models, exclusion processes, random intermittent search processes, quasi-steady-state reduction methods, and mean-field approximations are considered. Applications include receptor trafficking, axonal transport, membrane diffusion, nuclear transport, protein-DNA interactions, virus trafficking, and the self-organization of subcellular structures. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Exploring Anti-Bacterial Compounds against Intracellular Legionella

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Christopher F.; Kicka, Sébastien; Trofimov, Valentin; Berschl, Kathrin; Ouertatani-Sakouhi, Hajer; Ackermann, Nikolaus; Hedberg, Christian; Cosson, Pierre; Soldati, Thierry; Hilbi, Hubert

2013-01-01

Legionella pneumophila is a ubiquitous fresh-water bacterium which reproduces within its erstwhile predators, environmental amoeba, by subverting the normal pathway of phagocytosis and degradation. The molecular mechanisms which confer resistance to amoeba are apparently conserved and also allow replication within macrophages. Thus, L. pneumophila can act as an ‘accidental’ human pathogen and cause a severe pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease. The intracellular localisation of L. pneumophila protects it from some antibiotics, and this fact must be taken into account to develop new anti-bacterial compounds. In addition, the intracellular lifestyle of L. pneumophila may render the bacteria susceptible to compounds diminishing bacterial virulence and decreasing intracellular survival and replication of this pathogen. The development of a single infection cycle intracellular replication assay using GFP-producing L. pneumophila and Acanthamoeba castellanii amoeba is reported here. This fluorescence-based assay allows for continuous monitoring of intracellular replication rates, revealing the effect of bacterial gene deletions or drug treatment. To examine how perturbations of the host cell affect L. pneumophila replication, several known host-targeting compounds were tested, including modulators of cytoskeletal dynamics, vesicle scission and Ras GTPase localisation. Our results reveal a hitherto unrealized potential antibiotic property of the β-lactone-based Ras depalmitoylation inhibitor palmostatin M, but not the closely related inhibitor palmostatin B. Further characterisation indicated that this compound caused specific growth inhibition of Legionella and Mycobacterium species, suggesting that it may act on a common bacterial target. PMID:24058631

Exploring anti-bacterial compounds against intracellular Legionella.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher F Harrison

Full Text Available Legionella pneumophila is a ubiquitous fresh-water bacterium which reproduces within its erstwhile predators, environmental amoeba, by subverting the normal pathway of phagocytosis and degradation. The molecular mechanisms which confer resistance to amoeba are apparently conserved and also allow replication within macrophages. Thus, L. pneumophila can act as an 'accidental' human pathogen and cause a severe pneumonia known as Legionnaires' disease. The intracellular localisation of L. pneumophila protects it from some antibiotics, and this fact must be taken into account to develop new anti-bacterial compounds. In addition, the intracellular lifestyle of L. pneumophila may render the bacteria susceptible to compounds diminishing bacterial virulence and decreasing intracellular survival and replication of this pathogen. The development of a single infection cycle intracellular replication assay using GFP-producing L. pneumophila and Acanthamoebacastellanii amoeba is reported here. This fluorescence-based assay allows for continuous monitoring of intracellular replication rates, revealing the effect of bacterial gene deletions or drug treatment. To examine how perturbations of the host cell affect L. pneumophila replication, several known host-targeting compounds were tested, including modulators of cytoskeletal dynamics, vesicle scission and Ras GTPase localisation. Our results reveal a hitherto unrealized potential antibiotic property of the β-lactone-based Ras depalmitoylation inhibitor palmostatin M, but not the closely related inhibitor palmostatin B. Further characterisation indicated that this compound caused specific growth inhibition of Legionella and Mycobacterium species, suggesting that it may act on a common bacterial target.

Evidence for a functional link between Dd-STATa and Dd-PIAS, a Dictyostelium PIAS homologue.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawata, Takefumi; Hirano, Tatsunori; Ogasawara, Shun; Aoshima, Ryota; Yachi, Ayako

2011-09-01

Several mammalian protein families inhibit the activity of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins. The protein inhibitor of activated STAT (PIAS) was initially identified through its ability to interact with human STAT proteins. We isolated a gene (pisA) encoding a Dictyostelium orthologue of PIAS, Dd-PIAS, which possesses almost all the representative motifs and domains of mammalian PIAS proteins. A Dd-PIAS null mutant strain displays a normal terminal morphology but with accelerated development once cells are aggregated. In contrast, Dd-PIAS overexpressor strains demonstrate delayed aggregation, almost no slug phototaxis, impaired slug motility, and a prolonged slug migration period. This strain is a near phenocopy of the Dd-STATa null mutant, although it eventually forms a fruiting body, albeit inefficiently. The expression of several Dd-STATa-activated genes is upregulated in the Dd-PIAS null mutant and there is ectopic expression of pstAB makers. The concentration of a PIAS-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein, expressed under the PIAS promoter, is greatest in the pstO cells and gradually decreases with proximity to the tip of the slug and culminant: a pattern diametrically opposite to that of Dd-STATa. Our results suggest a functional interrelationship between Dd-PIAS and Dd-STATa that influences gene expression and development. © 2011 The Authors. Development, Growth & Differentiation © 2011 Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists.

Intracellular calcium levels can regulate Importin-dependent nuclear import

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaur, Gurpreet; Ly-Huynh, Jennifer D.; Jans, David A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • High intracellular calcium inhibits Impα/β1- or Impβ1-dependent nuclear protein import. • The effect of Ca 2+ on nuclear import does not relate to changes in the nuclear pore. • High intracellular calcium can result in mislocalisation of Impβ1, Ran and RCC1. - Abstract: We previously showed that increased intracellular calcium can modulate Importin (Imp)β1-dependent nuclear import of SRY-related chromatin remodeling proteins. Here we extend this work to show for the first time that high intracellular calcium inhibits Impα/β1- or Impβ1-dependent nuclear protein import generally. The basis of this relates to the mislocalisation of the transport factors Impβ1 and Ran, which show significantly higher nuclear localization in contrast to various other factors, and RCC1, which shows altered subnuclear localisation. The results here establish for the first time that intracellular calcium modulates conventional nuclear import through direct effects on the nuclear transport machinery

Intracellular calcium levels can regulate Importin-dependent nuclear import

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaur, Gurpreet; Ly-Huynh, Jennifer D.; Jans, David A., E-mail: David.Jans@monash.edu

2014-07-18

Highlights: • High intracellular calcium inhibits Impα/β1- or Impβ1-dependent nuclear protein import. • The effect of Ca{sup 2+} on nuclear import does not relate to changes in the nuclear pore. • High intracellular calcium can result in mislocalisation of Impβ1, Ran and RCC1. - Abstract: We previously showed that increased intracellular calcium can modulate Importin (Imp)β1-dependent nuclear import of SRY-related chromatin remodeling proteins. Here we extend this work to show for the first time that high intracellular calcium inhibits Impα/β1- or Impβ1-dependent nuclear protein import generally. The basis of this relates to the mislocalisation of the transport factors Impβ1 and Ran, which show significantly higher nuclear localization in contrast to various other factors, and RCC1, which shows altered subnuclear localisation. The results here establish for the first time that intracellular calcium modulates conventional nuclear import through direct effects on the nuclear transport machinery.

Modeling HIV-1 intracellular replication: two simulation approaches

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zarrabi, N.; Mancini, E.; Tay, J.; Shahand, S.; Sloot, P.M.A.

2010-01-01

Many mathematical and computational models have been developed to investigate the complexity of HIV dynamics, immune response and drug therapy. However, there are not many models which consider the dynamics of virus intracellular replication at a single level. We propose a model of HIV intracellular

Single-cell intracellular nano-pH probes†

Science.gov (United States)

Özel, Rıfat Emrah; Lohith, Akshar; Mak, Wai Han; Pourmand, Nader

2016-01-01

Within a large clonal population, such as cancerous tumor entities, cells are not identical, and the differences between intracellular pH levels of individual cells may be important indicators of heterogeneity that could be relevant in clinical practice, especially in personalized medicine. Therefore, the detection of the intracellular pH at the single-cell level is of great importance to identify and study outlier cells. However, quantitative and real-time measurements of the intracellular pH of individual cells within a cell population is challenging with existing technologies, and there is a need to engineer new methodologies. In this paper, we discuss the use of nanopipette technology to overcome the limitations of intracellular pH measurements at the single-cell level. We have developed a nano-pH probe through physisorption of chitosan onto hydroxylated quartz nanopipettes with extremely small pore sizes (~100 nm). The dynamic pH range of the nano-pH probe was from 2.6 to 10.7 with a sensitivity of 0.09 units. We have performed single-cell intracellular pH measurements using non-cancerous and cancerous cell lines, including human fibroblasts, HeLa, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, with the pH nanoprobe. We have further demonstrated the real-time continuous single-cell pH measurement capability of the sensor, showing the cellular pH response to pharmaceutical manipulations. These findings suggest that the chitosan-functionalized nanopore is a powerful nano-tool for pH sensing at the single-cell level with high temporal and spatial resolution. PMID:27708772

Single-cell intracellular nano-pH probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Özel, Rıfat Emrah; Lohith, Akshar; Mak, Wai Han; Pourmand, Nader

2015-01-01

Within a large clonal population, such as cancerous tumor entities, cells are not identical, and the differences between intracellular pH levels of individual cells may be important indicators of heterogeneity that could be relevant in clinical practice, especially in personalized medicine. Therefore, the detection of the intracellular pH at the single-cell level is of great importance to identify and study outlier cells. However, quantitative and real-time measurements of the intracellular pH of individual cells within a cell population is challenging with existing technologies, and there is a need to engineer new methodologies. In this paper, we discuss the use of nanopipette technology to overcome the limitations of intracellular pH measurements at the single-cell level. We have developed a nano-pH probe through physisorption of chitosan onto hydroxylated quartz nanopipettes with extremely small pore sizes (~100 nm). The dynamic pH range of the nano-pH probe was from 2.6 to 10.7 with a sensitivity of 0.09 units. We have performed single-cell intracellular pH measurements using non-cancerous and cancerous cell lines, including human fibroblasts, HeLa, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, with the pH nanoprobe. We have further demonstrated the real-time continuous single-cell pH measurement capability of the sensor, showing the cellular pH response to pharmaceutical manipulations. These findings suggest that the chitosan-functionalized nanopore is a powerful nano-tool for pH sensing at the single-cell level with high temporal and spatial resolution.

Mycobacterium intracellulare Infection Mimicking Progression of Scleroderma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krabbe, Simon; Engelhart, Merete; Thybo, Sören

2017-01-01

This case report describes a patient with scleroderma who developed Mycobacterium intracellulare infection, which for more than a year mimicked worsening of her connective tissue disorder. The patient was diagnosed with scleroderma based on puffy fingers that developed into sclerodactyly, abnormal......, unfortunately with significant scarring. Immunodeficiency testing was unremarkable. In summary, an infection with Mycobacterium intracellulare was mistaken for an unusually severe progression of scleroderma....

Uptake and intracellular activity of AM-1155 in phagocytic cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, T; Kusajima, H; Hosaka, M; Fukuda, H; Oomori, Y; Shinoda, H

1996-01-01

The uptake and intracellular activity of AM-1155 in murine J774.1 macrophages and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes were investigated. AM-1155 penetrated phagocytic cells rapidly and reversibly, although the penetration process was not affected by metabolic inhibitors such as sodium fluoride, cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, or ouabain or by nucleoside transport system inhibitors such as adenosine. The intracellular concentration-to-extracellular concentration ratio of AM-1155 in both cell types of phagocytes ranged from 5 to 7. These ratios were almost equal to those for sparfloxacin. The intracellular activity of AM-1155 in J774.1 macrophages, examined with Staphylococcus aureus 209P as a test bacterium, was dependent on the extracellular concentration. AM-1155 at a concentration of 1 microgram/ml reduced the number of viable cells of S. aureus ingested by more than 90%. The intracellular activity of AM-1155 was more potent than those of sparfloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, flomoxef, and erythromycin. These results suggest that the potent intracellular activity of AM-1155 might mainly be due to the high intracellular concentration and its potent in vitro activity. PMID:9124835

Analysis of Intracellular Metabolites from Microorganisms: Quenching and Extraction Protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinu, Farhana R; Villas-Boas, Silas G; Aggio, Raphael

2017-10-23

Sample preparation is one of the most important steps in metabolome analysis. The challenges of determining microbial metabolome have been well discussed within the research community and many improvements have already been achieved in last decade. The analysis of intracellular metabolites is particularly challenging. Environmental perturbations may considerably affect microbial metabolism, which results in intracellular metabolites being rapidly degraded or metabolized by enzymatic reactions. Therefore, quenching or the complete stop of cell metabolism is a pre-requisite for accurate intracellular metabolite analysis. After quenching, metabolites need to be extracted from the intracellular compartment. The choice of the most suitable metabolite extraction method/s is another crucial step. The literature indicates that specific classes of metabolites are better extracted by different extraction protocols. In this review, we discuss the technical aspects and advancements of quenching and extraction of intracellular metabolite analysis from microbial cells.

Influence of intracellular acidosis on contractile function in the working rat heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffrey, F.M.H.; Malloy, C.R.; Radda, G.K.

1987-01-01

The decrease in myocardial contractility during ischemia, hypoxia, and extracellular acidosis has been attributed to intracellular acidosis. Previous studies of the relationship between pH and contractile state have utilized respiratory or metabolic acidosis to alter intracellular pH. The authors developed a model in the working perfused rat heart to study the effects of intracellular acidosis with normal external pH and optimal O 2 delivery. Intracellular pH and high-energy phosphates were monitored by 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hearts were perfused to a steady state with a medium containing 10 mM NH 4 Cl. Acidosis induced a substantial decrease in aortic flow and stroke volume which was associated with little change in peak systolic pressure. It was concluded that (1) for the same intracellular acidosis the influence on tension development was more pronounced with a combined extra- and intracellular acidosis than with an isolated intracellular acidosis, and (2) stroke volume at constant preload was impaired by intracellular acidosis even though changes in developed pressure were minimal. These observations suggest that isolated intracellular acidosis has adverse effects on diastolic compliance and/or relaxation

Intracellular trafficking of new anticancer therapeutics: antibody–drug conjugates

Science.gov (United States)

Kalim, Muhammad; Chen, Jie; Wang, Shenghao; Lin, Caiyao; Ullah, Saif; Liang, Keying; Ding, Qian; Chen, Shuqing; Zhan, Jinbiao

2017-01-01

Antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) is a milestone in targeted cancer therapy that comprises of monoclonal antibodies chemically linked to cytotoxic drugs. Internalization of ADC takes place via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and pinocytosis. Conjugation strategies, endocytosis and intracellular trafficking optimization, linkers, and drugs chemistry present a great challenge for researchers to eradicate tumor cells successfully. This inventiveness of endocytosis and intracellular trafficking has given considerable momentum recently to develop specific antibodies and ADCs to treat cancer cells. It is significantly advantageous to emphasize the endocytosis and intracellular trafficking pathways efficiently and to design potent engineered conjugates and biological entities to boost efficient therapies enormously for cancer treatment. Current studies illustrate endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of ADC, protein, and linker strategies in unloading and also concisely evaluate practically applicable ADCs. PMID:28814834

Intracellular trafficking of new anticancer therapeutics: antibody-drug conjugates.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalim, Muhammad; Chen, Jie; Wang, Shenghao; Lin, Caiyao; Ullah, Saif; Liang, Keying; Ding, Qian; Chen, Shuqing; Zhan, Jinbiao

2017-01-01

Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is a milestone in targeted cancer therapy that comprises of monoclonal antibodies chemically linked to cytotoxic drugs. Internalization of ADC takes place via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and pinocytosis. Conjugation strategies, endocytosis and intracellular trafficking optimization, linkers, and drugs chemistry present a great challenge for researchers to eradicate tumor cells successfully. This inventiveness of endocytosis and intracellular trafficking has given considerable momentum recently to develop specific antibodies and ADCs to treat cancer cells. It is significantly advantageous to emphasize the endocytosis and intracellular trafficking pathways efficiently and to design potent engineered conjugates and biological entities to boost efficient therapies enormously for cancer treatment. Current studies illustrate endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of ADC, protein, and linker strategies in unloading and also concisely evaluate practically applicable ADCs.

Spatial Cytoskeleton Organization Supports Targeted Intracellular Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Hafner, Anne E.; Rieger, Heiko

2018-03-01

The efficiency of intracellular cargo transport from specific source to target locations is strongly dependent upon molecular motor-assisted motion along the cytoskeleton. Radial transport along microtubules and lateral transport along the filaments of the actin cortex underneath the cell membrane are characteristic for cells with a centrosome. The interplay between the specific cytoskeleton organization and the motor performance realizes a spatially inhomogeneous intermittent search strategy. In order to analyze the efficiency of such intracellular search strategies we formulate a random velocity model with intermittent arrest states. We evaluate efficiency in terms of mean first passage times for three different, frequently encountered intracellular transport tasks: i) the narrow escape problem, which emerges during cargo transport to a synapse or other specific region of the cell membrane, ii) the reaction problem, which considers the binding time of two particles within the cell, and iii) the reaction-escape problem, which arises when cargo must be released at a synapse only after pairing with another particle. Our results indicate that cells are able to realize efficient search strategies for various intracellular transport tasks economically through a spatial cytoskeleton organization that involves only a narrow actin cortex rather than a cell body filled with randomly oriented actin filaments.

Analysis of Intracellular Metabolites from Microorganisms: Quenching and Extraction Protocols

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Farhana R. Pinu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Sample preparation is one of the most important steps in metabolome analysis. The challenges of determining microbial metabolome have been well discussed within the research community and many improvements have already been achieved in last decade. The analysis of intracellular metabolites is particularly challenging. Environmental perturbations may considerably affect microbial metabolism, which results in intracellular metabolites being rapidly degraded or metabolized by enzymatic reactions. Therefore, quenching or the complete stop of cell metabolism is a pre-requisite for accurate intracellular metabolite analysis. After quenching, metabolites need to be extracted from the intracellular compartment. The choice of the most suitable metabolite extraction method/s is another crucial step. The literature indicates that specific classes of metabolites are better extracted by different extraction protocols. In this review, we discuss the technical aspects and advancements of quenching and extraction of intracellular metabolite analysis from microbial cells.

Manipulation of Host Cholesterol by Obligate Intracellular Bacteria

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Dhritiman Samanta

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Cholesterol is a multifunctional lipid that plays important metabolic and structural roles in the eukaryotic cell. Despite having diverse lifestyles, the obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens Chlamydia, Coxiella, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia all target cholesterol during host cell colonization as a potential source of membrane, as well as a means to manipulate host cell signaling and trafficking. To promote host cell entry, these pathogens utilize cholesterol-rich microdomains known as lipid rafts, which serve as organizational and functional platforms for host signaling pathways involved in phagocytosis. Once a pathogen gains entrance to the intracellular space, it can manipulate host cholesterol trafficking pathways to access nutrient-rich vesicles or acquire membrane components for the bacteria or bacteria-containing vacuole. To acquire cholesterol, these pathogens specifically target host cholesterol metabolism, uptake, efflux, and storage. In this review, we examine the strategies obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens employ to manipulate cholesterol during host cell colonization. Understanding how obligate intracellular pathogens target and use host cholesterol provides critical insight into the host-pathogen relationship.

A Thapsigargin-Resistant Intracellular Calcium Sequestering Compartment in Rat Brain

Science.gov (United States)

2000-03-31

have a major impact on neuronal intracellular signaling. Most of the ER in neurons and glia appears to accumulate calcium by energy driven ion pumps...secretion of exocrine, endocrine, and neurocrine products, regulation of glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis , intracellular transport, secretion of fluids...the RyRs [140]. Furthermore, the intracellular expression of these receptor-channels in neuronal ER is also reciprocal with RyRs located primarily in

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of intracellular ions in perfused from heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnstein, D.; Fossel, E.T.

1987-01-01

Intracellular sodium, potassium, and lithium were observed in a perfused frog heart by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A perfusate buffer containing the shift reagent, dysprosium tripolyphosphate, was used in combination with mathematical filtering or presaturation of the extracellular resonance to separate the intra- and extracellular sodium NMR signals. Addition of 10 μM ouabain to the perfusate, perfusion with a zero potassium, low-calcium buffer, and replacement of 66% of the perfusate sodium with lithium resulted in changes in the intracellular sodium levels. An increase of 45% in the intracellular sodium was observed when changing the pacing rate from 0 to 60 beats/min (with proportional changes for intermediate pacing rates). The ratio of intracellular potassium to sodium concentration was determined to be 2.3 by NMR, indicating that a substantial amount of the intracellular potassium is undetectable with these NMR method. In addition, intracellular lithium was observed during perfusion with a lithium-containing perfusate

Intracellular pH homeostasis in Leishmania donovani amastigotes and promastigotes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glaser, T.A.; Baatz, J.E.; Kreishman, G.P.; Mukkada, A.J.

1988-01-01

Intracellular pH and pH gradients of Leishmania donovani amastigotes and promastigotes were determined over a broad range of extracellular pH values. Intracellular pH was determined by 31 P NMR and by equilibrium distribution studies with 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione or methylamine. Promastigotes maintain intracellular pH values close to neutral between extracellular pH values of 5.0 and 7.4. Amastigote intracellular pH is maintained close to neutral at external pH values as low as 4.0. Both life stages maintain a positive pH gradient to an extracellular pH of 7.4, which is important for active transport of substrates. Treatment with ionophores, such as nigericin and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and the ATPase inhibitor dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, reduced pH gradients in both stages. Maintenance of intracellular pH in the physiologic range is especially relevant for the survival of the amastigote in its acidic in vivo environment

Directed antigen delivery as a vaccine strategy for an intracellular bacterial pathogen

Science.gov (United States)

Bouwer, H. G. Archie; Alberti-Segui, Christine; Montfort, Megan J.; Berkowitz, Nathan D.; Higgins, Darren E.

2006-03-01

We have developed a vaccine strategy for generating an attenuated strain of an intracellular bacterial pathogen that, after uptake by professional antigen-presenting cells, does not replicate intracellularly and is readily killed. However, after degradation of the vaccine strain within the phagolysosome, target antigens are released into the cytosol for endogenous processing and presentation for stimulation of CD8+ effector T cells. Applying this strategy to the model intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, we show that an intracellular replication-deficient vaccine strain is cleared rapidly in normal and immunocompromised animals, yet antigen-specific CD8+ effector T cells are stimulated after immunization. Furthermore, animals immunized with the intracellular replication-deficient vaccine strain are resistant to lethal challenge with a virulent WT strain of L. monocytogenes. These studies suggest a general strategy for developing safe and effective, attenuated intracellular replication-deficient vaccine strains for stimulation of protective immune responses against intracellular bacterial pathogens. CD8+ T cell | replication-deficient | Listeria monocytogenes

Intracellular Enzymes Contribution to the Biocatalytic Removal of Pharmaceuticals by Trametes hirsuta.

Science.gov (United States)

Haroune, Lounès; Saibi, Sabrina; Cabana, Hubert; Bellenger, Jean-Philippe

2017-01-17

The use of white rot fungi (WRF) for bioremediation of recalcitrant trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) is becoming greatly popular. Biosorption and lignin modifying enzymes (LMEs) are the most often reported mechanisms of action. Intracellular enzymes, such as cytochrome P450 (CYP450), have also been suggested to contribute. However, direct evidence of TrOCs uptake and intracellular transformation is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative contribution of biosorption, extracellular LMEs activity, TrOCs uptake, and intracellular CYP450 on the removal of six nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIs) by Trametes hirsuta. Results show that for most tested NSAIs, LMEs activity and biosorption failed to explain the observed removal. Most tested TrOCs are quickly taken up and intracellularly transformed. Fine characterization of intracellular transformation using ketoprofen showed that CYP450 is not the sole intracellular enzyme responsible for intracellular transformation. The contribution of CYP450 in further transformation of ketoprofen byproducts is also reported. These results illustrate that TrOCs transformation by WRF is a more complex process than previously reported. Rapid uptake of TrOCs and intracellular transformation through diverse enzymatic systems appears to be important components of WRF efficiency toward TrOCs.

Ortholog-based screening and identification of genes related to intracellular survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaowen; Wang, Jiawei; Bing, Guoxia; Bie, Pengfei; De, Yanyan; Lyu, Yanli; Wu, Qingmin

2018-04-20

Bioinformatics and comparative genomics analysis methods were used to predict unknown pathogen genes based on homology with identified or functionally clustered genes. In this study, the genes of common pathogens were analyzed to screen and identify genes associated with intracellular survival through sequence similarity, phylogenetic tree analysis and the λ-Red recombination system test method. The total 38,952 protein-coding genes of common pathogens were divided into 19,775 clusters. As demonstrated through a COG analysis, information storage and processing genes might play an important role intracellular survival. Only 19 clusters were present in facultative intracellular pathogens, and not all were present in extracellular pathogens. Construction of a phylogenetic tree selected 18 of these 19 clusters. Comparisons with the DEG database and previous research revealed that seven other clusters are considered essential gene clusters and that seven other clusters are associated with intracellular survival. Moreover, this study confirmed that clusters screened by orthologs with similar function could be replaced with an approved uvrY gene and its orthologs, and the results revealed that the usg gene is associated with intracellular survival. The study improves the current understanding of intracellular pathogens characteristics and allows further exploration of the intracellular survival-related gene modules in these pathogens. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

DMPD: Intracellular DNA sensors in immunity. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 18573338 Intracellular DNA sensors in immunity. Takeshita F, Ishii KJ. Curr Opin Im...munol. 2008 Aug;20(4):383-8. Epub 2008 Jun 23. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show Intracellular DNA sensors ...in immunity. PubmedID 18573338 Title Intracellular DNA sensors in immunity. Authors Takeshita F, Ishii KJ. P

Stochastic models of intracellular transport

KAUST Repository

Bressloff, Paul C.; Newby, Jay M.

2013-01-01

mechanisms for intracellular transport: passive diffusion and motor-driven active transport. Diffusive transport can be formulated in terms of the motion of an overdamped Brownian particle. On the other hand, active transport requires chemical energy, usually

Intracellular Complement Activation Sustains T Cell Homeostasis and Mediates Effector Differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

Liszewski, M. Kathryn; Kolev, Martin; Le Friec, Gaelle; Leung, Marilyn; Bertram, Paula G.; Fara, Antonella F.; Subias, Marta; Pickering, Matthew C.; Drouet, Christian; Meri, Seppo; Arstila, T. Petteri; Pekkarinen, Pirkka T.; Ma, Margaret; Cope, Andrew; Reinheckel, Thomas; Rodriguez de Cordoba, Santiago; Afzali, Behdad; Atkinson, John P.; Kemper, Claudia

2013-01-01

Summary Complement is viewed as a critical serum-operative component of innate immunity, with processing of its key component, C3, into activation fragments C3a and C3b confined to the extracellular space. We report here that C3 activation also occurred intracellularly. We found that the T cell-expressed protease cathepsin L (CTSL) processed C3 into biologically active C3a and C3b. Resting T cells contained stores of endosomal and lysosomal C3 and CTSL and substantial amounts of CTSL-generated C3a. While “tonic” intracellular C3a generation was required for homeostatic T cell survival, shuttling of this intracellular C3-activation-system to the cell surface upon T cell stimulation induced autocrine proinflammatory cytokine production. Furthermore, T cells from patients with autoimmune arthritis demonstrated hyperactive intracellular complement activation and interferon-γ production and CTSL inhibition corrected this deregulated phenotype. Importantly, intracellular C3a was observed in all examined cell populations, suggesting that intracellular complement activation might be of broad physiological significance. PMID:24315997

Optimizing Nanoelectrode Arrays for Scalable Intracellular Electrophysiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, Jeffrey; Ye, Tianyang; Ham, Donhee; Park, Hongkun

2018-03-20

Electrode technology for electrophysiology has a long history of innovation, with some decisive steps including the development of the voltage-clamp measurement technique by Hodgkin and Huxley in the 1940s and the invention of the patch clamp electrode by Neher and Sakmann in the 1970s. The high-precision intracellular recording enabled by the patch clamp electrode has since been a gold standard in studying the fundamental cellular processes underlying the electrical activities of neurons and other excitable cells. One logical next step would then be to parallelize these intracellular electrodes, since simultaneous intracellular recording from a large number of cells will benefit the study of complex neuronal networks and will increase the throughput of electrophysiological screening from basic neurobiology laboratories to the pharmaceutical industry. Patch clamp electrodes, however, are not built for parallelization; as for now, only ∼10 patch measurements in parallel are possible. It has long been envisioned that nanoscale electrodes may help meet this challenge. First, nanoscale electrodes were shown to enable intracellular access. Second, because their size scale is within the normal reach of the standard top-down fabrication, the nanoelectrodes can be scaled into a large array for parallelization. Third, such a nanoelectrode array can be monolithically integrated with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics to facilitate the large array operation and the recording of the signals from a massive number of cells. These are some of the central ideas that have motivated the research activity into nanoelectrode electrophysiology, and these past years have seen fruitful developments. This Account aims to synthesize these findings so as to provide a useful reference. Summing up from the recent studies, we will first elucidate the morphology and associated electrical properties of the interface between a nanoelectrode and a cellular membrane

Investigating Internalization and Intracellular Trafficking of GPCRs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foster, Simon R; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

2017-01-01

for signal transduction. One of the major mechanisms for GPCR regulation involves their endocytic trafficking, which serves to internalize the receptors from the plasma membrane and thereby attenuate G protein-dependent signaling. However, there is accumulating evidence to suggest that GPCRs can signal...... independently of G proteins, as well as from intracellular compartments including endosomes. It is in this context that receptor internalization and intracellular trafficking have attracted renewed interest within the GPCR field. In this chapter, we will review the current understanding and methodologies...

The epithelial cell cytoskeleton and intracellular trafficking. I. Shiga toxin B-subunit system: retrograde transport, intracellular vectorization, and more.

Science.gov (United States)

Johannes, Ludger

2002-07-01

Many intracellular transport routes are still little explored. This is particularly true for retrograde transport between the plasma membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum. Shiga toxin B subunit has become a powerful tool to study this pathway, and recent advances on the molecular mechanisms of transport in the retrograde route and on its physiological function(s) are summarized. Furthermore, it is discussed how the study of retrograde transport of Shiga toxin B subunit allows one to design new methods for the intracellular delivery of therapeutic compounds.

New perspective in the assessment of total intracellular magnesium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azzurra Sargenti

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Magnesium (Mg is essential for biological processes, but its cellular homeostasis has not been thoroughly elucidated, mainly because of the inadequacy of the available techniques to map intracellular Mg distribution. Recently, particular interest has been raised by a new family of fluorescent probes, diaza-18-crown-hydroxyquinoline (DCHQ, that shows remarkably high affinity and specificity for Mg, thus permitting the detection of the total intracellular Mg. The data obtained by fluori- metric and cytofluorimetric assays performed with DCHQ5 are in good agreement with atomic absorption spectroscopy, confirming that DCHQ5 probe allows both qualitative and quantitative determination of total intracellular Mg.

Advances in genetic manipulation of obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul eBeare

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Infections by obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens result in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. These bacteria include Chlamydia spp., which causes millions of cases of sexually transmitted disease and blinding trachoma annually, and members of the α-proteobacterial genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Orientia and Rickettsia, agents of serious human illnesses including epidemic typhus. Coxiella burnetii, the agent of human Q fever, has also been considered a prototypical obligate intracellular bacterium, but recent host cell-free (axenic growth has rescued it from obligatism. The historic genetic intractability of obligate intracellular bacteria has severely limited molecular dissection of their unique lifestyles and virulence factors involved in pathogenesis. Host cell restricted growth is a significant barrier to genetic transformation that can make simple procedures for free-living bacteria, such as cloning, exceedingly difficult. Low transformation efficiency requiring long term culture in host cells to expand small transformant populations is another obstacle. Despite numerous technical limitations, the last decade has witnessed significant gains in genetic manipulation of obligate intracellular bacteria including allelic exchange. Continued development of genetic tools should soon enable routine mutation and complementation strategies for virulence factor discovery and stimulate renewed interest in these refractory pathogens. In this review, we discuss the technical challenges associated with genetic transformation of obligate intracellular bacteria and highlight advances made with individual genera.

Intracellular transport of fat-soluble vitamins A and E.

Science.gov (United States)

Kono, Nozomu; Arai, Hiroyuki

2015-01-01

Vitamins are compounds that are essential for the normal growth, reproduction and functioning of the human body. Of the 13 known vitamins, vitamins A, D, E and K are lipophilic compounds and are therefore called fat-soluble vitamins. Because of their lipophilicity, fat-soluble vitamins are solubilized and transported by intracellular carrier proteins to exert their actions and to be metabolized properly. Vitamin A and its derivatives, collectively called retinoids, are solubilized by intracellular retinoid-binding proteins such as cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP), cellular retinoic acid-binding protein (CRABP) and cellular retinal-binding protein (CRALBP). These proteins act as chaperones that regulate the metabolism, signaling and transport of retinoids. CRALBP-mediated intracellular retinoid transport is essential for vision in human. α-Tocopherol, the main form of vitamin E found in the body, is transported by α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) in hepatic cells. Defects of α-TTP cause vitamin E deficiency and neurological disorders in humans. Recently, it has been shown that the interaction of α-TTP with phosphoinositides plays a critical role in the intracellular transport of α-tocopherol and is associated with familial vitamin E deficiency. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms and biological significance of the intracellular transport of vitamins A and E. © 2014 The Authors. Traffic published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ciprofloxacin nano-niosomes for targeting intracellular infections: an in vitro evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbari, Vajihe; Abedi, Daryoush; Pardakhty, Abbas; Sadeghi-Aliabadi, Hojjat

2013-01-01

In order to propose non-ionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) for the treatment of intracellular infections, a remote loading method (active drug encapsulation) followed by sonication was used to prepare nano-niosome formulations containing ciprofloxacin (CPFX). Size analysis, size distribution and zeta potentials of niosomes were evaluated and then their antimicrobial activity, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, intracellular distribution, and antibacterial activity against intracellular Staphylococcus aureus infection of murine macrophage-like, J774, cells were investigated in comparison to free drug. Our findings reveal that size and composition of the niosome formula can influence their in vitro biological properties. Vesicles in the 300–600 nm size range were phagocytosed to a greater degree by macrophages in comparison to other size vesicles. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CPFX-loaded niosomes were two to eightfold lower than MICs of free CPFX. In addition, niosome encapsulation of CPFX provided high intracellular antimicrobial activities while free CPFX is ineffective for eradicating intracellular forms of S. aureus. Encapsulation of CPFX in niosomes generally decreased its in vitro cytotoxicity. Our results show that niosomes are suitable drug delivery systems with good efficacy and safety properties to be proposed for drug targeting against intracellular infections.

Ciprofloxacin nano-niosomes for targeting intracellular infections: an in vitro evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akbari, Vajihe; Abedi, Daryoush [Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Isfahan Pharmaceutical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pardakhty, Abbas [Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Pharmaceutics Research Center (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sadeghi-Aliabadi, Hojjat, E-mail: sadeghi@pharm.mui.ac.ir [Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Isfahan Pharmaceutical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-04-15

In order to propose non-ionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) for the treatment of intracellular infections, a remote loading method (active drug encapsulation) followed by sonication was used to prepare nano-niosome formulations containing ciprofloxacin (CPFX). Size analysis, size distribution and zeta potentials of niosomes were evaluated and then their antimicrobial activity, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, intracellular distribution, and antibacterial activity against intracellular Staphylococcus aureus infection of murine macrophage-like, J774, cells were investigated in comparison to free drug. Our findings reveal that size and composition of the niosome formula can influence their in vitro biological properties. Vesicles in the 300-600 nm size range were phagocytosed to a greater degree by macrophages in comparison to other size vesicles. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CPFX-loaded niosomes were two to eightfold lower than MICs of free CPFX. In addition, niosome encapsulation of CPFX provided high intracellular antimicrobial activities while free CPFX is ineffective for eradicating intracellular forms of S. aureus. Encapsulation of CPFX in niosomes generally decreased its in vitro cytotoxicity. Our results show that niosomes are suitable drug delivery systems with good efficacy and safety properties to be proposed for drug targeting against intracellular infections.

Quantifying the degree of persistence in random amoeboid motion based on the Hurst exponent of fractional Brownian motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Makarava, Natallia; Menz, Stephan; Theves, Matthias; Huisinga, Wilhelm; Beta, Carsten; Holschneider, Matthias

2014-10-01

Amoebae explore their environment in a random way, unless external cues like, e.g., nutrients, bias their motion. Even in the absence of cues, however, experimental cell tracks show some degree of persistence. In this paper, we analyzed individual cell tracks in the framework of a linear mixed effects model, where each track is modeled by a fractional Brownian motion, i.e., a Gaussian process exhibiting a long-term correlation structure superposed on a linear trend. The degree of persistence was quantified by the Hurst exponent of fractional Brownian motion. Our analysis of experimental cell tracks of the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum showed a persistent movement for the majority of tracks. Employing a sliding window approach, we estimated the variations of the Hurst exponent over time, which allowed us to identify points in time, where the correlation structure was distorted ("outliers"). Coarse graining of track data via down-sampling allowed us to identify the dependence of persistence on the spatial scale. While one would expect the (mode of the) Hurst exponent to be constant on different temporal scales due to the self-similarity property of fractional Brownian motion, we observed a trend towards stronger persistence for the down-sampled cell tracks indicating stronger persistence on larger time scales.

Cell shape dynamics: from waves to migration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meghan K Driscoll

Full Text Available We observe and quantify wave-like characteristics of amoeboid migration. Using the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, a model system for the study of chemotaxis, we demonstrate that cell shape changes in a wave-like manner. Cells have regions of high boundary curvature that propagate from the leading edge toward the back, usually along alternating sides of the cell. Curvature waves are easily seen in cells that do not adhere to a surface, such as cells that are electrostatically repelled from surfaces or cells that extend over the edge of micro-fabricated cliffs. Without surface contact, curvature waves travel from the leading edge to the back of a cell at -35 µm/min. Non-adherent myosin II null cells do not exhibit these curvature waves. At the leading edge of adherent cells, curvature waves are associated with protrusive activity. Like regions of high curvature, protrusive activity travels along the boundary in a wave-like manner. Upon contact with a surface, the protrusions stop moving relative to the surface, and the boundary shape thus reflects the history of protrusive motion. The wave-like character of protrusions provides a plausible mechanism for the zig-zagging of pseudopods and for the ability of cells both to swim in viscous fluids and to navigate complex three dimensional topography.

A bacteriophage endolysin that eliminates intracellular streptococci

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yang; Barros, Marilia; Vennemann, Tarek; Gallagher, D Travis; Yin, Yizhou; Linden, Sara B; Heselpoth, Ryan D; Spencer, Dennis J; Donovan, David M; Moult, John; Fischetti, Vincent A; Heinrich, Frank; Lösche, Mathias; Nelson, Daniel C

2016-01-01

PlyC, a bacteriophage-encoded endolysin, lyses Streptococcus pyogenes (Spy) on contact. Here, we demonstrate that PlyC is a potent agent for controlling intracellular Spy that often underlies refractory infections. We show that the PlyC holoenzyme, mediated by its PlyCB subunit, crosses epithelial cell membranes and clears intracellular Spy in a dose-dependent manner. Quantitative studies using model membranes establish that PlyCB interacts strongly with phosphatidylserine (PS), whereas its interaction with other lipids is weak, suggesting specificity for PS as its cellular receptor. Neutron reflection further substantiates that PlyC penetrates bilayers above a PS threshold concentration. Crystallography and docking studies identify key residues that mediate PlyCB–PS interactions, which are validated by site-directed mutagenesis. This is the first report that a native endolysin can traverse epithelial membranes, thus substantiating the potential of PlyC as an antimicrobial for Spy in the extracellular and intracellular milieu and as a scaffold for engineering other functionalities. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13152.001 PMID:26978792

Determination of Intracellular Vitrification Temperatures for Unicellular Micro Organisms under Conditions Relevant for Cryopreservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Fernanda; Meneghel, Julie; Cenard, Stéphanie; Passot, Stéphanie; Morris, G John

2016-01-01

During cryopreservation ice nucleation and crystal growth may occur within cells or the intracellular compartment may vitrify. Whilst previous literature describes intracellular vitrification in a qualitative manner, here we measure the intracellular vitrification temperature of bacteria and yeasts under conditions relevant to cryopreservation, including the addition of high levels of permeating and nonpermeating additives and the application of rapid rates of cooling. The effects of growth conditions that are known to modify cellular freezing resistance on the intracellular vitrification temperature are also examined. For bacteria a plot of the activity on thawing against intracellular glass transition of the maximally freeze-concentrated matrix (Tg') shows that cells with the lowest value of intracellular Tg' survive the freezing process better than cells with a higher intracellular Tg'. This paper demonstrates the role of the physical state of the intracellular environment in determining the response of microbial cells to preservation and could be a powerful tool to be manipulated to allow the optimization of methods for the preservation of microorganisms.

The interferon response to intracellular DNA: why so many receptors?

Science.gov (United States)

Unterholzner, Leonie

2013-11-01

The detection of intracellular DNA has emerged to be a key event in the innate immune response to viruses and intracellular bacteria, and during conditions of sterile inflammation and autoimmunity. One of the consequences of the detection of DNA as a 'stranger' and a 'danger' signal is the production of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Much work has been dedicated to the elucidation of the signalling cascades that activate this DNA-induced gene expression programme. However, while many proteins have been proposed to act as sensors for intracellular DNA in recent years, none has been met with universal acceptance, and a theory linking all the recent observations is, as yet, lacking. This review presents the evidence for the various interferon-inducing DNA receptors proposed to date, and examines the hypotheses that might explain why so many different receptors appear to be involved in the innate immune recognition of intracellular DNA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Size and Species on Lens Intracellular Hydrostatic Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Junyuan; Sun, Xiurong; Moore, Leon C.; Brink, Peter R.; White, Thomas W.; Mathias, Richard T.

2013-01-01

Purpose. Previous experiments showed that mouse lenses have an intracellular hydrostatic pressure that varied from 335 mm Hg in central fibers to 0 mm Hg in surface cells. Model calculations predicted that in larger lenses, all else equal, pressure should increase as the lens radius squared. To test this prediction, lenses of different radii from different species were studied. Methods. All studies were done in intact lenses. Intracellular hydrostatic pressures were measured with a microelectrode-manometer–based system. Membrane conductances were measured by frequency domain impedance analysis. Intracellular Na+ concentrations were measured by injecting the Na+-sensitive dye sodium-binding benzofuran isophthalate. Results. Intracellular hydrostatic pressures were measured in lenses from mice, rats, rabbits, and dogs with radii (cm) 0.11, 0.22, 0.49, and 0.57, respectively. In each species, pressure varied from 335 ± 6 mm Hg in central fiber cells to 0 mm Hg in surface cells. Further characterization of transport in lenses from mice and rats showed that the density of fiber cell gap junction channels was approximately the same, intracellular Na+ concentrations varied from 17 mM in central fiber cells to 7 mM in surface cells, and intracellular voltages varied from −45 mV in central fiber cells to −60 mV in surface cells. Fiber cell membrane conductance was a factor of 2.7 times larger in mouse than in rat lenses. Conclusions. Intracellular hydrostatic pressure is an important physiological parameter that is regulated in lenses from these different species. The most likely mechanism of regulation is to reduce the density of open Na+-leak channels in fiber cells of larger lenses. PMID:23211824

Surveillance for Intracellular Antibody by Cytosolic Fc Receptor TRIM21

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William A. McEwan

2016-11-01

Full Text Available TRIM21 has emerged as an atypical Fc receptor that is broadly conserved and widely expressed in the cytoplasm of mammalian cells. Viruses that traffic surface-bound antibodies into the cell during infection recruit TRIM21 via a high affinity interaction between Fc and TRIM21 PRYSPRY domain. Following binding of intracellular antibody, TRIM21 acts as both antiviral effector and sensor for innate immune signalling. These activities serve to reduce viral replication by orders of magnitude in vitro and contribute to host survival during in vivo infection. Neutralization occurs rapidly after detection and requires the activity of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The microbial targets of this arm of intracellular immunity are still being identified: TRIM21 activity has been reported following infection by several non-enveloped viruses and intracellular bacteria. These findings extend the sphere of influence of antibodies to the intracellular domain and have broad implications for immunity. TRIM21 has been implicated in the chronic auto-immune condition systemic lupus erythematosus and is itself an auto-antigen in Sjögren’s syndrome. This review summarises our current understanding of TRIM21’s role as a cytosolic Fc receptor and briefly discusses pathological circumstances where intracellular antibodies have been described, or are hypothesized to occur, and may benefit from further investigations of the role of TRIM21.

Legionella pneumophila transcriptome during intracellular multiplication in human macrophages

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Sebastien P Faucher

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, an acute pulmonary infection. L. pneumophila is able to infect and multiply in both phagocytic protozoa, such as Acanthamoeba castellanii, and mammalian professional phagocytes. The best-known L. pneumophila virulence determinant is the Icm/Dot Type IVB secretion system (TFBSS, which is used to translocate more than 150 effector proteins to host cells. While the transcriptional response of Legionella to the intracellular environment of A. castellanii has been investigated, much less is known about the Legionella transcriptional response inside human macrophages. In this study, the transcriptome of L. pneumophila was monitored during exponential and post-exponential phase in rich AYE broth as well as during infection of human cultured macrophages. This was accomplished with microarrays and an RNA amplification procedure called SCOTS to detect small amounts of mRNA from low numbers of intracellular bacteria. Among the genes induced intracellularly are those involved in amino acid biosynthetic pathways leading to L-arginine, L-histidine and L-proline as well as many transport systems involved in amino acid and iron uptake. Gene involved in catabolism of glycerol is also induced during intracellular growth and could be used as a carbon source. The genes encoding the Icm/Dot system are not differentially expressed inside cells compared to control bacteria grown in rich broth, but the genes encoding several translocated effectors are strongly induced. Moreover, we used the transcriptome data to predict previously unrecognized Icm/Dot effector genes based on their expression pattern and confirmed translocation for three candidates. This study provides a comprehensive view of how L. pneumophila responds to the human macrophage intracellular environment.

Quantifying intracellular hydrogen peroxide perturbations in terms of concentration

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Beijing K. Huang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Molecular level, mechanistic understanding of the roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS in a variety of pathological conditions is hindered by the difficulties associated with determining the concentration of various ROS species. Here, we present an approach that converts fold-change in the signal from an intracellular sensor of hydrogen peroxide into changes in absolute concentration. The method uses extracellular additions of peroxide and an improved biochemical measurement of the gradient between extracellular and intracellular peroxide concentrations to calibrate the intracellular sensor. By measuring peroxiredoxin activity, we found that this gradient is 650-fold rather than the 7–10-fold that is widely cited. The resulting calibration is important for understanding the mass-action kinetics of complex networks of redox reactions, and it enables meaningful characterization and comparison of outputs from endogenous peroxide generating tools and therapeutics across studies.

Antibody- and TRIM21-dependent intracellular restriction of Salmonella enterica.

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Rakebrandt, Nikolas; Lentes, Sabine; Neumann, Heinz; James, Leo C; Neumann-Staubitz, Petra

2014-11-01

TRIM21 ('tripartite motif-containing protein 21', Ro52) is a ubiquitously expressed cytosolic Fc receptor, which has a potent role in protective immunity against nonenveloped viruses. TRIM21 mediates intracellular neutralisation of antibody-coated viruses, a process called ADIN (antibody-dependent intracellular neutralisation). Our results reveal a similar mechanism to fight bacterial infections. TRIM21 is recruited to the intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica in epithelial cells early in infection. TRIM21 does not bind directly to S. enterica, but to antibodies opsonising it. Most importantly, bacterial restriction is dependent on TRIM21 as well as on the opsonisation state of the bacteria. Finally, Salmonella and TRIM21 colocalise with the autophagosomal marker LC3, and intracellular defence is enhanced in starved cells suggesting an involvement of the autophagocytic pathway. Our data extend the protective role of TRIM21 from viruses to bacteria and thereby strengthening the general role of ADIN in cellular immunity. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data for automated, high-throughput microscopy analysis of intracellular bacterial colonies using spot detection

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Ernstsen, Christina Lundgaard; Login, Frédéric H.; Jensen, Helene Halkjær

2017-01-01

Quantification of intracellular bacterial colonies is useful in strategies directed against bacterial attachment, subsequent cellular invasion and intracellular proliferation. An automated, high-throughput microscopy-method was established to quantify the number and size of intracellular bacteria...

Cationic Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37 Is Effective against both Extra- and Intracellular Staphylococcus aureus

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Noore, Jabeen; Noore, Adly

2013-01-01

The increasing resistance of bacteria to conventional antibiotics and the challenges posed by intracellular bacteria, which may be responsible for chronic and recurrent infections, have driven the need for advanced antimicrobial drugs for effective elimination of both extra- and intracellular pathogens. The purpose of this study was to determine the killing efficacy of cationic antimicrobial peptide LL-37 compared to conventional antibiotics against extra- and intracellular Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial killing assays and an infection model of osteoblasts and S. aureus were studied to determine the bacterial killing efficacy of LL-37 and conventional antibiotics against extra- and intracellular S. aureus. We found that LL-37 was effective in killing extracellular S. aureus at nanomolar concentrations, while lactoferricin B was effective at micromolar concentrations and doxycycline and cefazolin at millimolar concentrations. LL-37 was surprisingly more effective in killing the clinical strain than in killing an ATCC strain of S. aureus. Moreover, LL-37 was superior to conventional antibiotics in eliminating intracellular S. aureus. The kinetic studies further revealed that LL-37 was fast in eliminating both extra- and intracellular S. aureus. Therefore, LL-37 was shown to be very potent and prompt in eliminating both extra- and intracellular S. aureus and was more effective in killing extra- and intracellular S. aureus than commonly used conventional antibiotics. LL-37 could potentially be used to treat chronic and recurrent infections due to its effectiveness in eliminating not only extracellular but also intracellular pathogens. PMID:23274662

Intracellular mechanisms of solar water disinfection

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Castro-Alférez, María; Polo-López, María Inmaculada; Fernández-Ibáñez, Pilar

2016-12-01

Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a zero-cost intervention measure to disinfect drinking water in areas of poor access to improved water sources, used by more than 6 million people in the world. The bactericidal action of solar radiation in water has been widely proven, nevertheless the causes for this remain still unclear. Scientific literature points out that generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside microorganisms promoted by solar light absorption is the main reason. For the first time, this work reports on the experimental measurement of accumulated intracellular ROS in E. coli during solar irradiation. For this experimental achievement, a modified protocol based on the fluorescent probe dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA), widely used for oxidative stress in eukaryotic cells, has been tested and validated for E. coli. Our results demonstrate that ROS and their accumulated oxidative damages at intracellular level are key in solar water disinfection.

Subversion of the cytoskeleton by intracellular bacteria: lessons from Listeria, Salmonella, and Vibrio

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de Souza Santos, Marcela; Orth, Kim

2018-01-01

Summary Entry into host cells and intracellular persistence by invasive bacteria are tightly coupled to the ability of the bacterium to disrupt the eukaryotic cytoskeletal machinery. Herein we review the main strategies used by three intracellular pathogens to harness key modulators of the cytoskeleton. Two of these bacteria, namely Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, exhibit quite distinct intracellular lifestyles, and therefore, provide a comprehensive panel for the understanding of the intricate bacteria-cytoskeleton interplay during infections. The emerging intracellular pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus is depicted as a developing model for the uncovering of novel mechanisms used to hijack the cytoskeleton. PMID:25440316

Tethering factors as organizers of intracellular vesicular traffic.

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Yu, I-Mei; Hughson, Frederick M

2010-01-01

Intracellular trafficking entails the budding, transport, tethering, and fusion of transport vesicles and other membrane carriers. Here we review recent progress toward a mechanistic understanding of vesicle tethering. The known tethering factors are large complexes important for one or more intracellular trafficking pathways and are capable of interacting directly with many of the other principal components of the cellular trafficking machinery. Our review emphasizes recent developments in the in vitro reconstitution of vesicle tethering and the structural characterization of multisubunit tethering factors. The combination of these and other approaches has led to exciting progress toward understanding how these essential nanomachines work.

Concentration-dependent fluorescence live-cell imaging and tracking of intracellular nanoparticles

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Seo, Ji Hye; Joo, Sang-Woo [Department of Chemistry, Soongsil University, Seoul 156-743 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Keunchang [Logos Biosystems, Incorporated, Anyang 431-070 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, So Yeong, E-mail: leeso@snu.ac.kr, E-mail: sjoo@ssu.ac.kr [Laboratory of Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-06-10

Using live-cell imaging techniques we investigated concentration-dependent intracellular movements of fluorescence nanoparticles (NPs) in real-time after their entry into HeLa cells via incubation. Intracellular particle traces appeared to be a mixture of both random and fairly unidirectional movements of the particles. At rather low concentrations of NPs, a majority of the non-random intracellular particle trajectories are assumed to mostly go along microtubule networks after endocytosis, as evidenced from the inhibition test with nocodazole. On the other hand, as the concentrations of NPs increased, random motions were more frequently observed inside the cells.

Concentration-dependent fluorescence live-cell imaging and tracking of intracellular nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Ji Hye; Joo, Sang-Woo; Cho, Keunchang; Lee, So Yeong

2011-01-01

Using live-cell imaging techniques we investigated concentration-dependent intracellular movements of fluorescence nanoparticles (NPs) in real-time after their entry into HeLa cells via incubation. Intracellular particle traces appeared to be a mixture of both random and fairly unidirectional movements of the particles. At rather low concentrations of NPs, a majority of the non-random intracellular particle trajectories are assumed to mostly go along microtubule networks after endocytosis, as evidenced from the inhibition test with nocodazole. On the other hand, as the concentrations of NPs increased, random motions were more frequently observed inside the cells.

Fluorescent probes and nanoparticles for intracellular sensing of pH values

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Shi, Wen; Li, Xiaohua; Ma, Huimin

2014-12-01

Intracellular pH regulates a number of cell metabolism processes and its sensing is thus of great importance for cell studies. Among various methods, fluorescent probes have been widely used for sensing intracellular pH values because of their high sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution capability. In this article, the development of fluorescent probes with good practicability in sensing intracellular pH values and pH variation during 2009 - 2014 is reviewed. These fluorescence probes are divided into two kinds: small molecules and nanoparticles. Photophysical properties, advantages/disadvantages and applications of the two kinds of probes are discussed in detail.

Biomineralization Patterns of Intracellular Carbonatogenesis in Cyanobacteria: Molecular Hypotheses

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Jinhua Li

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The recent discovery of intracellular carbonatogenesis in several cyanobacteria species has challenged the traditional view that this process was extracellular and not controlled. However, a detailed analysis of the size distribution, chemical composition and 3-D-arrangement of carbonates in these cyanobacteria is lacking. Here, we characterized these features in Candidatus Gloeomargarita lithophora C7 and Candidatus Synechococcus calcipolaris G9 by conventional transmission electron microscopy, tomography, ultramicrotomy, and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM. Both Ca. G. lithophora C7 and Ca. S. calcipolaris G9 formed numerous polyphosphate granules adjacent or engulfing Ca-carbonate inclusions when grown in phosphate-rich solutions. Ca-carbonates were scattered within Ca. G. lithophora C7 cells under these conditions, but sometimes arranged in one or several chains. In contrast, Ca-carbonates formed at cell septa in Ca. S. calcipolaris G9 and were segregated equally between daughter cells after cell division, arranging as distorted disks at cell poles. The size distribution of carbonates evolved from a positively to a negatively skewed distribution as particles grew. Conventional ultramicrotomy did not preserve Ca-carbonates explaining partly why intracellular calcification has been overlooked in the past. All these new observations allow discussing with unprecedented insight some nucleation and growth processes occurring in intracellularly calcifying cyanobacteria with a particular emphasis on the possible involvement of intracellular compartments and cytoskeleton.

Detection and quantification of intracellular bacterial colonies by automated, high-throughput microscopy.

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Ernstsen, Christina L; Login, Frédéric H; Jensen, Helene H; Nørregaard, Rikke; Møller-Jensen, Jakob; Nejsum, Lene N

2017-08-01

To target bacterial pathogens that invade and proliferate inside host cells, it is necessary to design intervention strategies directed against bacterial attachment, cellular invasion and intracellular proliferation. We present an automated microscopy-based, fast, high-throughput method for analyzing size and number of intracellular bacterial colonies in infected tissue culture cells. Cells are seeded in 48-well plates and infected with a GFP-expressing bacterial pathogen. Following gentamicin treatment to remove extracellular pathogens, cells are fixed and cell nuclei stained. This is followed by automated microscopy and subsequent semi-automated spot detection to determine the number of intracellular bacterial colonies, their size distribution, and the average number per host cell. Multiple 48-well plates can be processed sequentially and the procedure can be completed in one working day. As a model we quantified intracellular bacterial colonies formed by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) during infection of human kidney cells (HKC-8). Urinary tract infections caused by UPEC are among the most common bacterial infectious diseases in humans. UPEC can colonize tissues of the urinary tract and is responsible for acute, chronic, and recurrent infections. In the bladder, UPEC can form intracellular quiescent reservoirs, thought to be responsible for recurrent infections. In the kidney, UPEC can colonize renal epithelial cells and pass to the blood stream, either via epithelial cell disruption or transcellular passage, to cause sepsis. Intracellular colonies are known to be clonal, originating from single invading UPEC. In our experimental setup, we found UPEC CFT073 intracellular bacterial colonies to be heterogeneous in size and present in nearly one third of the HKC-8 cells. This high-throughput experimental format substantially reduces experimental time and enables fast screening of the intracellular bacterial load and cellular distribution of multiple

Intracellular sodium hydrogen exchange inhibition and clinical myocardial protection.

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Mentzer, Robert M; Lasley, Robert D; Jessel, Andreas; Karmazyn, Morris

2003-02-01

Although the mechanisms underlying ischemia/reperfusion injury remain elusive, evidence supports the etiologic role of intracellular calcium overload and oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species. Activation of the sodium hydrogen exchanger (NHE) is associated with intracellular calcium accumulation. Inhibition of the NHE-1 isoform may attenuate the consequences of this injury. Although there is strong preclinical and early clinical evidence that NHE inhibitors may be cardioprotective, definitive proof of this concept in humans awaits the results of ongoing clinical trials.

The effect of sodium bicarbonate on intracellular pH using 31P-MR spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakashima, Kazuya; Kashiwagi, Shiro; Ito, Haruhide; Yamashita, Tetsuo; Kitahara, Tetsuhiro; Nakayama, Naoto; Saito, Kennichi

1997-01-01

This report deals with the effects of sodium bicarbonate on the intracellular pH of the brain and cerebral blood flow (CBF); five normal volunteers were studied. Intracellular pH and CBF were measured by phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 31 P-MRS) and stable xenon computed tomography (Xe-CT), respectively. Each individual received 7% sodium bicarbonate (3.5 ml/kg body weight), infused intravenously over a 15-min period. Intracellular pH, CBF, and physiological parameters were determined before and after the injection. Intracellular pH was significantly decreased and CBF was increased. Among the physiological parameters, the hematocrit was significantly decreased and arterial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO 2 ), increased. These results suggest that increasing CO 2 contributes to the decrease in intracellular pH. In conclusion, three factors increase CBF during the administration of sodium bicarbonate to humans: arterial dilatation in response to carbon dioxide; decrease of the hematocrit, and intracellular cerebral acidosis. (author)

Fluorescent nanoparticles for intracellular sensing: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruedas-Rama, Maria J.; Walters, Jamie D.; Orte, Angel; Hall, Elizabeth A.H.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Analytical applications of fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) in intracellular sensing. ► Critical review on performance of QDots, metal NPs, silica NPs, and polymer NPs. ► Highlighted potential of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). - Abstract: Fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs), including semiconductor NPs (Quantum Dots), metal NPs, silica NPs, polymer NPs, etc., have been a major focus of research and development during the past decade. The fluorescent nanoparticles show unique chemical and optical properties, such as brighter fluorescence, higher photostability and higher biocompatibility, compared to classical fluorescent organic dyes. Moreover, the nanoparticles can also act as multivalent scaffolds for the realization of supramolecular assemblies, since their high surface to volume ratio allow distinct spatial domains to be functionalized, which can provide a versatile synthetic platform for the implementation of different sensing schemes. Their excellent properties make them one of the most useful tools that chemistry has supplied to biomedical research, enabling the intracellular monitoring of many different species for medical and biological purposes. In this review, we focus on the developments and analytical applications of fluorescent nanoparticles in chemical and biological sensing within the intracellular environment. The review also points out the great potential of fluorescent NPs for fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). Finally, we also give an overview of the current methods for delivering of fluorescent NPs into cells, where critically examine the benefits and liabilities of each strategy.

Intracellular renin disrupts chemical communication between heart cells. Pathophysiological implications

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Walmor eDe Mello

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of intracellular renin on the process of chemical communication between cardiac cells was investigated in cell pairs isolated from the left ventricle of adult Wistar Kyoto rats. The enzyme together with Lucifer yellow CH was dialyzed into one cell of the pair using the whole cell clamp technique. The diffusion of the dye in the dialyzed and in non-dialyzed cell was followed by measuring the intensity of fluorescence in both cells as a function of time. The results indicated that; 1 under normal conditions, Lucifer Yellow flows from cell-to-cell through gap junctions; 2 the intracellular dialysis of renin (100nM disrupts chemical communication-an effect enhanced by simultaneous administration of angiotensinogen (100nM; 3 enalaprilat (10-9M administered to the cytosol together with renin reduced drastically the uncoupling action of the enzyme; 4 aliskiren (10-8M inhibited the effect of renin on chemical communication;5 the possible role of intracellular renin independently of angiotensin II (Ang II was evaluated including the increase of the inward calcium current elicited by the enzyme and the possible role of oxidative stress on the disruption of cell communication; 6 the possible harmful versus the beneficial effect of intracellular renin during myocardial infarction was discussed;7 the present results indicate that intracellular renin due to internalization or in situ synthesis, causes a severe impairment of chemical communication in the heart resulting in derangement of metabolic cooperation with serious consequences for heart function.

Fatty Acid Signaling: The New Function of Intracellular Lipases

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Zuzana Papackova

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Until recently, intracellular triacylglycerols (TAG stored in the form of cytoplasmic lipid droplets have been considered to be only passive “energy conserves”. Nevertheless, degradation of TAG gives rise to a pleiotropic spectrum of bioactive intermediates, which may function as potent co-factors of transcription factors or enzymes and contribute to the regulation of numerous cellular processes. From this point of view, the process of lipolysis not only provides energy-rich equivalents but also acquires a new regulatory function. In this review, we will concentrate on the role that fatty acids liberated from intracellular TAG stores play as signaling molecules. The first part provides an overview of the transcription factors, which are regulated by fatty acids derived from intracellular stores. The second part is devoted to the role of fatty acid signaling in different organs/tissues. The specific contribution of free fatty acids released by particular lipases, hormone-sensitive lipase, adipose triacylglycerol lipase and lysosomal lipase will also be discussed.