Disruption of the gene encoding the p34/31 polypeptides affects growth and development of Dictyostelium discoideum

1991 ◽  
Vol 226-226 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 59-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Bain ◽  
Adrian Tsang
Keyword(s):  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Gene Encoding

scholarly journals CbfA, the C-Module DNA-Binding Factor, Plays an Essential Role in the Initiation of Dictyostelium discoideum Development

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 1349-1358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Winckler ◽  
Negin Iranfar ◽  
Peter Beck ◽  
Ingo Jennes ◽  
Oliver Siol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Cell Density ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Cell Physiology ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Multicellular Development

ABSTRACT We recently isolated from Dictyostelium discoideum cells a DNA-binding protein, CbfA, that interacts in vitro with a regulatory element in retrotransposon TRE5-A. We have generated a mutant strain that expresses CbfA at <5% of the wild-type level to characterize the consequences for D. discoideum cell physiology. We found that the multicellular development program leading to fruiting body formation is highly compromised in the mutant. The cells cannot aggregate and stay as a monolayer almost indefinitely. The cells respond properly to prestarvation conditions by expressing discoidin in a cell density-dependent manner. A genomewide microarray-assisted expression analysis combined with Northern blot analyses revealed a failure of CbfA-depleted cells to induce the gene encoding aggregation-specific adenylyl cyclase ACA and other genes required for cyclic AMP (cAMP) signal relay, which is necessary for aggregation and subsequent multicellular development. However, the cbfA mutant aggregated efficiently when mixed with as few as 5% wild-type cells. Moreover, pulsing cbfA mutant cells developing in suspension with nanomolar levels of cAMP resulted in induction of acaA and other early developmental genes. Although the response was less efficient and slower than in wild-type cells, it showed that cells depleted of CbfA are able to initiate development if given exogenous cAMP signals. Ectopic expression of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A restored multicellular development of the mutant. We conclude that sensing of cell density and starvation are independent of CbfA, whereas CbfA is essential for the pattern of gene expression which establishes the genetic network leading to aggregation and multicellular development of D. discoideum.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial localization of Dictyostelium discoideum dUTPase mediated by its N-terminus

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine P. Chia ◽  
Noriko Inoguchi ◽  
Kyle C. Varon ◽  
Bradley M. Bartholomai ◽  
Hideaki Moriyama
Keyword(s):  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Subcellular Fractionation ◽  
Unicellular Eukaryote ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Conserved Motifs ◽  
N Terminus ◽  
Key Enzyme ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Abstract Objective The nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of Dictyostelium discoideum, a unicellular eukaryote, have relatively high A+T-contents of 77.5% and 72.65%, respectively. To begin to investigate how the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway fulfills the demand for dTTP, we determined the catalytic properties and structure of the key enzyme deoxyuridine triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) that hydrolyzes dUTP to dUMP, the precursor of dTTP. Results The annotated genome of D. discoideum identifies a gene encoding a polypeptide containing the five conserved motifs of homotrimeric dUTPases. Recombinant proteins, comprised of either full-length or core polypeptides with all conserved motifs but lacking residues 1-37 of the N-terminus, were active dUTPases. Crystallographic analyses of the core enzyme indicated that the C-termini, normally flexible, were constrained by interactions with the shortened N-termini that arose from the loss of residues 1-37. This allowed greater access of dUTP to active sites, resulting in enhanced catalytic parameters. A tagged protein comprised of the N-terminal forty amino acids of dUTPase fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) was expressed in D. discoideum cells. Supporting a prediction of mitochondrial targeting information within the N-terminus, localization and subcellular fractionation studies showed GFP to be in mitochondria. N-terminal sequencing of immunoprecipitated GFP revealed the loss of the dUTPase sequence upon import into the organelle.

scholarly journals Multiple cysteine proteinase forms during the life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum revealed by electrophoretic analysis

1988 ◽  
Vol 254 (1) ◽  
pp. 261-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J North ◽  
K I Scott ◽  
B C Lockwood
Keyword(s):  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Developmental Regulation ◽  
Cysteine Proteinase ◽  
Electrophoretic Analysis ◽  
Cysteine Proteinases ◽  
Cellular Slime Mould ◽  
Extracellular Form ◽  
Cellular Slime ◽  
Individual Enzyme

Proteinases of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum have been analysed using electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels containing gelatin (gelatin/PAGE). Multiple proteinase forms were apparent in vegetative myxamoebae, but the presence of individual enzyme forms depended on the manner in which the cells were grown. Axenic cells had a characteristic A-pattern of proteinases consisting of six bands, the most active enzymes having apparent Mr values of 51,000 and 45,000 (these have been named ddCP51 and ddCP45, respectively). Some of the proteinases were also present in the medium, the major extracellular form was ddCP42, a 42,000-Mr enzyme. Cells grown in association with bacteria had a distinct B-pattern with three main enzymes that had apparent Mr values of 48,000, 43,000 and 38,000. All of the A- and B-pattern proteinases were most active at acid pH in the presence of dithiothreitol and were inhibited by various agents such as trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane (E64), leupeptin and chymostatin, which inactivate cysteine proteinases. One of the enzymes, ddCP30, was identified as cysteine proteinase B which had been purified and characterized previously [North, M.J. & Whyte, A. (1984) J. Gen. Microbiol. 130, 123-134]. During starvation of axenic cells in shaken suspensions some of the vegetative proteinases disappeared, ddCP42 was released from the cells and one new enzyme with an apparent Mr of 48,000 appeared. Addition of cyclic AMP had little effect on these changes. When the axenically grown myxamoebae underwent development on filters, similar changes in band pattern were observed and the aggregation stage was characterized by the presence of three cysteine proteinase bands (apparent Mr values of 48,000, 45,000 and 43,000). Proteinases, especially ddCP42, were released from the cells and could be collected from the buffer-saturated pads which supported the filters. The results demonstrate that cysteine proteinases are present throughout growth and development of D. discoideum and that the forms present are subject to nutritional and developmental regulation.

A Dictyostelium discoideum homologue to Tcp-1 is essential for growth and development

Gene ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 213 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 101-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miho Iijima ◽  
Hajime Shimizu ◽  
Yoshimasa Tanaka ◽  
Hideko Urushihara
Keyword(s):  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Growth And Development
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