scholarly journals Overexpression of a Novel Rho Family GTPase, RacC, Induces Unusual Actin-based Structures and Positively Affects Phagocytosis inDictyostelium discoideum

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2891-2904 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Seastone ◽  
Eunkyung Lee ◽  
John Bush ◽  
David Knecht ◽  
James Cardelli
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Fluid Phase ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Rho Family

Rho family proteins have been implicated in regulating various cellular processes, including actin cytoskeleton organization, endocytosis, cell cycle, and gene expression. In this study, we analyzed the function of a novel Dictyostelium discoideum Rho family protein (RacC). A cell line was generated that conditionally overexpressed wild-type RacC three- to fourfold relative to endogenous RacC. Light and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the morphology of the RacC-overexpressing cells [RacC WT(+) cells] was significantly altered compared with control cells. In contrast to the cortical F-actin distribution normally observed, RacC WT(+) cells displayed unusual dorsal and peripheral F-actin–rich surface blebs (petalopodia, for flower-like). Furthermore, phagocytosis in the RacC WT(+) cells was induced threefold relative to control Ax2 cells, whereas fluid-phase pinocytosis was reduced threefold, primarily as the result of an inhibition of macropinocytosis. Efflux of fluid-phase markers was also reduced in the RacC WT(+) cells, suggesting that RacC may regulate postinternalization steps along the endolysosomal pathway. Treatment of cells with Wortmannin and LY294002 (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors) prevented the RacC-induced morphological changes but did not affect phagocytosis, suggesting that petalopodia are probably not required for RacC-induced phagocytosis. In contrast, inactivating diacylglycerol-binding motif–containing proteins by treating cells with the drug calphostin C completely inhibited phagocytosis in control and RacC WT(+) cells. These results suggest that RacC plays a role in actin cytoskeleton organization and phagocytosis inDictyostelium.

scholarly journals Inactivation of Two Dictyostelium discoideum Genes, DdPIK1 and DdPIK2, Encoding Proteins Related to Mammalian Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases, Results in Defects in Endocytosis, Lysosome to Postlysosome Transport, and Actin Cytoskeleton Organization

1997 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
pp. 1271-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Buczynski ◽  
Bryon Grove ◽  
Anson Nomura ◽  
Maurice Kleve ◽  
John Bush ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Mutant Strain ◽  
Fluorescent Microscopy ◽  
Membrane Traffic ◽  
Fluid Phase ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Endosomal Pathway ◽  
Mutant Cells

Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI 3-kinases) have been implicated in controlling cell proliferation, actin cytoskeleton organization, and the regulation of vesicle trafficking between intracellular organelles. There are at least three genes in Dictyostelium discoideum, DdPIK1, DdPIK2, and DdPIK3, encoding proteins most closely related to the mammalian 110-kD PI-3 kinase in amino acid sequence within the kinase domain. A mutant disrupted in DdPIK1 and DdPIK2 (Δddpik1/ddpik2) grows slowly in liquid medium. Using FITC-dextran (FD) as a fluid phase marker, we determined that the mutant strain was impaired in pinocytosis but normal in phagocytosis of beads or bacteria. Microscopic and biochemical approaches indicated that the transport rate of fluid-phase from acidic lysosomes to non-acidic postlysosomal vacuoles was reduced in mutant cells resulting in a reduction in efflux of fluid phase. Mutant cells were also almost completely devoid of large postlysosomal vacuoles as determined by transmission EM. However, Δddpik1/ddpik2 cells functioned normally in the regulation of other membrane traffic. For instance, radiolabel pulse-chase experiments indicated that the transport rates along the secretory pathway and the sorting efficiency of the lysosomal enzyme α-mannosidase were normal in the mutant strain. Furthermore, the contractile vacuole network of membranes (probably connected to the endosomal pathway by membrane traffic) was functionally and morphologically normal in mutant cells. Light microscopy revealed that Δddpik1/ddpik2 cells appeared smaller and more irregularly shaped than wild-type cells; 1–3% of the mutant cells were also connected by a thin cytoplasmic bridge. Scanning EM indicated that the mutant cells contained numerous filopodia projecting laterally and vertically from the cell surface, and fluorescent microscopy indicated that these filopodia were enriched in F-actin which accumulated in a cortical pattern in control cells. Finally, Δddpik1/ddpik2 cells responded and moved more rapidly towards cAMP. Together, these results suggest that Dictyostelium DdPIK1 and DdPIK2 gene products regulate multiple steps in the endosomal pathway, and function in the regulation of cell shape and movement perhaps through changes in actin organization.

scholarly journals RhoE Regulates Actin Cytoskeleton Organization and Cell Migration

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4761-4771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa M. Guasch ◽  
Peter Scambler ◽  
Gareth E. Jones ◽  
Anne J. Ridley
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Mdck Cells ◽  
Fiber Formation ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Complete Disappearance ◽  
Actin Organization ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Rho Family ◽  
As Stress

ABSTRACT The actin cytoskeleton is regulated by Rho family proteins: in fibroblasts, Rho mediates the formation of actin stress fibers, whereas Rac regulates lamellipodium formation and Cdc42 controls filopodium formation. We have cloned the mouse RhoE gene, whose product is a member of the Rho family that shares (except in one amino acid) the conserved effector domain of RhoA, RhoB, and RhoC. RhoE is able to bind GTP but does not detectably bind GDP and has low intrinsic GTPase activity compared with Rac. The role of RhoE in regulating actin organization was investigated by microinjection in Bac1.2F5 macrophages and MDCK cells. In macrophages, RhoE induced actin reorganization, leading to the formation of extensions resembling filopodia and pseudopodia. In MDCK cells, RhoE induced the complete disappearance of stress fibers, together with cell spreading. However, RhoE did not detectably affect the actin bundles that run parallel to the outer membranes of cells at the periphery of colonies, which are known to be dependent on RhoA. In addition, RhoE induced an increase in the speed of migration of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor-stimulated MDCK cells, in contrast to the previously reported inhibition produced by activated RhoA. The subcellular localization of RhoE at the lateral membranes of MDCK cells suggests a role in cell-cell adhesion, as has been shown for RhoA. These results suggest that RhoE may act to inhibit signalling downstream of RhoA, altering some RhoA-regulated responses, such as stress fiber formation, but not affecting others, such as peripheral actin bundle formation.

scholarly journals Pan1p, End3p, and Sla1p, Three Yeast Proteins Required for Normal Cortical Actin Cytoskeleton Organization, Associate with Each Other and Play Essential Roles in Cell Wall Morphogenesis

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Yao Tang ◽  
Jing Xu ◽  
Mingjie Cai
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Normal Cell ◽  
Cell Cortex ◽  
Repeat Region ◽  
Cortical Actin ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Eh Domain ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Cell Wall Morphogenesis

ABSTRACT The EH domain proteins Pan1p and End3p of budding yeast have been known to form a complex in vivo and play important roles in organization of the actin cytoskeleton and endocytosis. In this report, we describe new findings concerning the function of the Pan1p-End3p complex. First, we found that the Pan1p-End3p complex associates with Sla1p, another protein known to be required for the assembly of cortical actin structures. Sla1p interacts with the first long repeat region of Pan1p and the N-terminal EH domain of End3p, thus leaving the Pan1p-End3p interaction, which requires the second long repeat of Pan1p and the C-terminal repeat region of End3p, undisturbed. Second, Pan1p, End3p, and Sla1p are also required for normal cell wall morphogenesis. Each of the Pan1-4, sla1Δ, andend3Δ mutants displays the abnormal cell wall morphology previously reported for the act1-1 mutant. These cell wall defects are also exhibited by wild-type cells overproducing the C-terminal region of Sla1p that is responsible for interactions with Pan1p and End3p. These results indicate that the functions of Pan1p, End3p, and Sla1p in cell wall morphogenesis may depend on the formation of a heterotrimeric complex. Interestingly, the cell wall abnormalities exhibited by these cells are independent of the actin cytoskeleton organization on the cell cortex, as they manifest despite the presence of apparently normal cortical actin cytoskeleton. Examination of several act1 mutants also supports this conclusion. These observations suggest that the Pan1p-End3p-Sla1p complex is required not only for normal actin cytoskeleton organization but also for normal cell wall morphogenesis in yeast.

scholarly journals Golgi Body Motility in the Plant Cell Cortex Correlates with Actin Cytoskeleton Organization

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 1844-1855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Akkerman ◽  
Elysa J. R. Overdijk ◽  
Jan H. N. Schel ◽  
Anne Mie C. Emons ◽  
Tijs Ketelaar
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Plant Cell ◽  
Golgi Body ◽  
Cell Cortex ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Body Motility

The actin cytoskeleton is required to elaborate and maintain spatial patterning during trichome cell morphogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (24) ◽  
pp. 5559-5568 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mathur ◽  
P. Spielhofer ◽  
B. Kost ◽  
N. Chua
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Spatial Patterning ◽  
Actin Microfilaments ◽  
Cell Morphogenesis ◽  
Actin Organization ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Branch Formation ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Trichome Cell

Arabidopsis thaliana trichomes provide an attractive model system to dissect molecular processes involved in the generation of shape and form in single cell morphogenesis in plants. We have used transgenic Arabidopsis plants carrying a GFP-talin chimeric gene to analyze the role of the actin cytoskeleton in trichome cell morphogenesis. We found that during trichome cell development the actin microfilaments assumed an increasing degree of complexity from fine filaments to thick, longitudinally stretched cables. Disruption of the F-actin cytoskeleton by actin antagonists produced distorted but branched trichomes which phenocopied trichomes of mutants belonging to the ‘distorted’ class. Subsequent analysis of the actin cytoskeleton in trichomes of the distorted mutants, alien, crooked, distorted1, gnarled, klunker and wurm uncovered actin organization defects in each case. Treatments of wild-type seedlings with microtubule-interacting drugs elicited a radically different trichome phenotype characterized by isotropic growth and a severe inhibition of branch formation; these trichomes did not show defects in actin cytoskeleton organization. A normal actin cytoskeleton was also observed in trichomes of the zwichel mutant which have reduced branching. ZWICHEL, which was previously shown to encode a kinesin-like protein is thought to be involved in microtubule-linked processes. Based on our results we propose that microtubules establish the spatial patterning of trichome branches whilst actin microfilaments elaborate and maintain the overall trichome pattern during development.

ACTIN CYTOSKELETON ORGANIZATION IN OOCYTES AT VARIOUS STAGES OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER OOGENESIS AFTER EXPOSURE IN A MICROGRAVITY SIMULATOR OVER THE COMPLETE GAMETOGENESIS CYCLE

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
M.A. Usik ◽  
◽  
A.A. Sukonkina ◽  
I.V. Ogneva ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Modeled Microgravity ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Beta Actin ◽  
Actin Cytoskeleton Organization ◽  
Total Beta

The paper deals with the effects of modeled microgravity on actin cytoskeleton in oocytes at various stages of Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis over the complete gametogenesis cycle. Total actin content and F-actin singly was determined using immunohistochemical analysis. The results point to the growth of both total beta-actin and its polymer recognized by phalloidin. This finding can have key implications for evaluation of risks for the reproductive potential from the spaceflight factors.

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