scholarly journals Characterization of bcsA Mutations That Bypass Two Distinct Signaling Requirements for Myxococcus xanthus Development

2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (18) ◽  
pp. 5141-5150 ◽  
Author(s):  
John K. Cusick ◽  
Elizabeth Hager ◽  
Ronald E. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Cell Density ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Amino Acid Similarity ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Protease Deficient ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Low Cell Density ◽  
Significant Amino Acid

ABSTRACT The BsgA protease is required for starvation-induced development in Myxococcus xanthus. Bypass suppressors of a bsgA mutant were isolated to identify genes that may encode additional components of BsgA protease-dependent regulation of development. Strain M951 was isolated following Tn5 mutagenesis of a bsgA mutant and was capable of forming fruiting bodies and viable spores in the absence of the BsgA protease. The Tn5Ω951 insertion was localized to a gene, bcsA, that encodes a protein that has significant amino acid similarity to a group of recently described flavin-containing monooxygenases involved in styrene catabolism. Mutations in bcsA bypassed the developmental requirements for both extracellular B and C signaling but did not bypass the requirement for A signaling. Bypass of the B-signaling requirement by the bcsA mutation was accompanied by restored expression of a subset of developmentally induced lacZ fusions to the BsgA protease-deficient strain. bcsA mutant cells developed considerably faster than wild-type cells at low cell density and altered transcriptional levels of a developmentally induced, cell-density-regulated gene (Ω4427), suggesting that the bcsA gene product may normally act to inhibit development in a cell-density-regulated fashion. Bypass of the requirements for both B and C signaling by bcsA mutations suggests a possible link between these two genetically, biochemically, and temporally distinct signaling requirements.

Characterization of a steroid hormone receptor gene and mRNA in wild-type and mutant cells

Nature ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 312 (5996) ◽  
pp. 779-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Miesfeld ◽  
Sam Okret ◽  
Ann-Charlotte Wikström ◽  
Örjan Wrange ◽  
Jan-Åke Gustafsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Steroid Hormone ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Steroid Hormone Receptor ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Hormone Receptor Gene

Growth in cell length in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

1985 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 357-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Mitchison ◽  
P. Nurse
Keyword(s):  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
Cell Size ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Temperature Shift ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Cell Length ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cycle Growth ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Mutant Cells

The cylindrical cells of Schizosaccharomyces pombe grow in length by extension at the ends and not the middle. At the beginning of the cell cycle, growth is restricted to the ‘old end’, which existed in the previous cycle. Later on, the ‘new end’, formed from the septum, starts to grow at a point in the cycle that we have called NETO (‘new end take-off’). Fluorescence microscopy on cells stained with Calcofluor has been used to study NETO in size mutants, in blocked cdc mutants and with different growth temperatures and media. In wild-type cells (strain 972) NETO happens at 0.34 of the cycle with a cell length of 9.5 microns. With size mutants that are smaller at division, NETO takes place at the same size (9.0-9.5 microns) but this is not achieved until later in the cycle. Another control operates in larger size mutants since NETO occurs at the same stage of the cycle (about 0.32) as in wild type but at a larger cell size. This control is probably a requirement to have completed an event in early G2, since most cdc mutant cells blocked before this point in the cycle do not show NETO whereas most of those blocked in late G2 do show it. We conclude that NETO only happens if: (1) the cell length is greater than a critical value of 9.0-9.5 microns; and (2) the cell has traversed the first 0.3-0.35 of the cycle and passed early G2. NETO is delayed in poor media, in which cell size is also reduced. Temperature has little effect on NETO under steady-state conditions, but there is a transient delay for some hours after a temperature shift. NETO is later in another wild-type strain, 132. Time-lapse photomicrography was used to follow the rates of length growth in single cells. Wild-type cells showed two linear segments during the first 75% of the cycle. There was a rate-change point (RCP), coincident with NETO, where the rate of total length extension increased by 35%. This increase was not due simply to the start of new-end growth, since old-end growth slowed down in some cells at the RCP. cdc 11.123 is a mutant in which septation and division is blocked at 35 degrees C but nuclear division continues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Characterization of a novel promoter insertion in the c-rel locus

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 4788-4794
Author(s):  
N Kabrun ◽  
N Bumstead ◽  
M J Hayman ◽  
P J Enrietto
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Repeat Sequences ◽  
Myc Gene ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
Genetic Events

Avian leukosis virus (ALV)-induced neoplasias are commonly found associated with integrations of proviral DNA in proximity to the myc gene. However, studies suggest that other genetic events are necessary for the complete neoplastic phenotype. A cell line (HP46) derived from an ALV-induced tumor has been analyzed and found to contain, in addition to an alteration in the myc gene, a promoter insertion in the c-rel locus. Both loci expressed large amounts of mRNA coding for their respective proteins. Several rel-related transcripts were expressed in the HP46 line, and four rel-related proteins of lower molecular weight than the wild-type p68c-rel product were detected. At least two of these transcripts contained U5 long terminal repeat sequences on the 5' end of the RNA. Structural data suggest that the messages may have evolved by an alternative splicing mechanism. This is the first example of a promoter insertion in the c-rel locus, a gene whose viral counterpart v-rel is responsible for the induction of lymphoid tumors.

scholarly journals Disease-causing mutation in α-actinin-4 promotes podocyte detachment through maladaptation to periodic stretch

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (7) ◽  
pp. 1517-1522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Di Feng ◽  
Jacob Notbohm ◽  
Ava Benjamin ◽  
Shijie He ◽  
Minxian Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Consequence ◽  
Adhesion Assay ◽  
Actin Network ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Spatially Correlated ◽  
Mechanical Responses ◽  
Podocyte Detachment ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Cross Links ◽  
Mutant Cells

α-Actinin-4 (ACTN4) bundles and cross-links actin filaments to confer mechanical resilience to the reconstituted actin network. How this resilience is built and dynamically regulated in the podocyte, and the cause of its failure in ACTN4 mutation-associated focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), remains poorly defined. Using primary podocytes isolated from wild-type (WT) and FSGS-causing point mutant Actn4 knockin mice, we report responses to periodic stretch. While WT cells largely maintained their F-actin cytoskeleton and contraction, mutant cells developed extensive and irrecoverable reductions in these same properties. This difference was attributable to both actin material changes and a more spatially correlated intracellular stress in mutant cells. When stretched cells were further challenged using a cell adhesion assay, mutant cells were more likely to detach. Together, these data suggest a mechanism for mutant podocyte dysfunction and loss in FSGS—it is a direct consequence of mechanical responses of a cytoskeleton that is brittle.

scholarly journals Sociality in Escherichia coli: Enterochelin Is a Private Good at Low Cell Density and Can Be Shared at High Cell Density

2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (13) ◽  
pp. 2122-2128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Scholz ◽  
E. Peter Greenberg
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cell Density ◽  
Iron Acquisition ◽  
Partial Privatization ◽  
High Cell ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cell Densities ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Low Cell Density

ABSTRACTMany bacteria produce secreted iron chelators called siderophores, which can be shared among cells with specific siderophore uptake systems regardless of whether the cell produces siderophores. Sharing secreted products allows freeloading, where individuals use resources without bearing the cost of production. Here we show that theEscherichia colisiderophore enterochelin is not evenly shared between producers and nonproducers. Wild-typeEscherichia coligrows well in low-iron minimal medium, and an isogenic enterochelin synthesis mutant (ΔentF) grows very poorly. The enterochelin mutant grows well in low-iron medium supplemented with enterochelin. At high cell densities the ΔentFmutant can compete equally with the wild type in low-iron medium. At low cell densities the ΔentFmutant cannot compete. Furthermore, the growth rate of the wild type is unaffected by cell density. The wild type grows well in low-iron medium even at very low starting densities. Our experiments support a model where at least some enterochelin remains associated with the cells that produce it, and the cell-associated enterochelin enables iron acquisition even at very low cell density. Enterochelin that is not retained by producing cells at low density is lost to dilution. At high cell densities, cell-free enterochelin can accumulate and be shared by all cells in the group. Partial privatization is a solution to the problem of iron acquisition in low-iron, low-cell-density habitats. Cell-free enterochelin allows for iron scavenging at a distance at higher population densities. Our findings shed light on the conditions under which freeloaders might benefit from enterochelin uptake systems.IMPORTANCESociality in microbes has become a topic of great interest. One facet of sociality is the sharing of secreted products, such as the iron-scavenging siderophores. We present evidence that theEscherichia colisiderophore enterochelin is relatively inexpensive to produce and is partially privatized such that it can be efficiently shared only at high producer cell densities. At low cell densities, cell-free enterochelin is scarce and only enterochelin producers are able to grow in low-iron medium. Because freely shared products can be exploited by freeloaders, this partial privatization may help explain how enterochelin production is stabilized inE. coliand may provide insight into when enterochelin is available for freeloaders.

scholarly journals An Adenylyl Cyclase, CyaB, Acts as an Osmosensor in Myxococcus xanthus

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (10) ◽  
pp. 3593-3598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshio Kimura ◽  
Mika Ohtani ◽  
Kaoru Takegawa
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Adenylyl Cyclase ◽  
Growth Retardation ◽  
Spore Germination ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Receptor Type ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Vegetative Cells ◽  
Mutant Cells

ABSTRACT We have previously reported that a receptor-type adenylyl cyclase (CyaA) of Myxococcus xanthus undergoes an osmosensor mainly during spore germination (Y. Kimura et al., J. Bacteriol. 184:3578-3585, 2002). In the present study, we cloned another receptor-type adenylyl cyclase gene (cyaB) and characterized the function of the cyaB-encoded protein. Disruption of cyaB generates a mutant that showed growth retardation at high ionic (NaCl) or high nonionic (sucrose) osmolarity. When vegetative cells were stimulated with 0.15 M NaCl, the increases in intracellular cyclic AMP levels of cyaB mutant cells were lower than those of wild-type cells. Under nonionic osmostress, the cyaB mutant exhibited reduced spore germination; however, the germination rate of the cyaB mutant was significantly higher than that of the cyaA mutant.

The in vivo role of annexin VII (synexin): characterization of an annexin VII-deficient Dictyostelium mutant indicates an involvement in Ca(2+)-regulated processes

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 2065-2076 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Doring ◽  
F. Veretout ◽  
R. Albrecht ◽  
B. Muhlbauer ◽  
C. Schlatterer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Cycle ◽  
Cell Fractionation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Camp Phosphodiesterase ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Extracellular Camp ◽  
Mutant Cells

Dictyostelium discoideum cells harbor two annexin VII isoforms of 47 and 51 kDa which are present throughout development. In immunofluorescence and cell fractionation studies annexin VII was found in the cytoplasm and on the plasma membrane. In gene disruption mutants lacking both annexin VII isoforms growth, pinocytosis, phagocytosis, chemotaxis and motility were not significantly impaired under routine laboratory conditions, and the cells were able to complete the developmental cycle on bacterial plates. On non-nutrient agar plates development was delayed by three to four hours and a significant number of aggregates was no longer able to form fruiting bodies. Exocytosis as determined by measuring extracellular cAMP phosphodiesterase, alpha-fucosidase and alpha-mannosidase activity was unaltered, the total amounts of these enzymes were however lower in the mutant than in the wild type. The mutant cells were markedly impaired when they were exposed to low Ca2+ concentrations by adding EGTA to the nutrient medium. Under these conditions growth, motility and chemotaxis were severely affected. The Ca2+ concentrations were similar in mutant and wild-type cells both under normal and Ca2+ limiting conditions; however, the distribution was altered under low Ca2+ conditions in SYN-cells. The data suggest that annexin VII is not required for membrane fusion events but rather contributes to proper Ca2+ homeostasis in the cell.

scholarly journals A mutant allele of the Swi/Snf member BAF250a determines the pool size of fetal liver hemopoietic stem cell populations

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (10) ◽  
pp. 1678-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Krosl ◽  
Aline Mamo ◽  
Jalila Chagraoui ◽  
Brian T. Wilhelm ◽  
Simon Girard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mutant Allele ◽  
Fetal Liver ◽  
Pool Size ◽  
Hemopoietic Stem Cell ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Dilution Experiments ◽  
Stem Cell Populations

Abstract It is believed that hemopoietic stem cells (HSC), which colonize the fetal liver (FL) rapidly, expand to establish a supply of HSCs adequate for maintenance of hemopoiesis throughout life. Accordingly, FL HSCs are actively cycling as opposed to their predominantly quiescent bone marrow counterparts, suggesting that the FL microenvironment provides unique signals that support HSC proliferation and self-renewal. We now report the generation and characterization of mice with a mutant allele of Baf250a lacking exons 2 and 3. Baf250aE2E3/E2E3 mice are viable until E19.5, but do not survive beyond birth. Most interestingly, FL HSC numbers are markedly higher in these mice than in control littermates, thus raising the possibility that Baf250a determines the HSC pool size in vivo. Limit dilution experiments indicate that the activity of Baf250aE2E3/E2E3 HSC is equivalent to that of the wild-type counterparts. The Baf250aE2E3/E2E3 FL-derived stroma, in contrast, exhibits a hemopoiesis-supporting potential superior to the developmentally matched controls. To our knowledge, this demonstration is the first that a mechanism operating in a cell nonautonomous manner canexpand the pool size of the fetal HSC populations.

scholarly journals Characterization of Two Methanopterin Biosynthesis Mutants of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 by Use of a Tetrahydromethanopterin Bioassay

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (5) ◽  
pp. 1565-1570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline E. Rasche ◽  
Stephanie A. Havemann ◽  
Mariana Rosenzvaig
Keyword(s):  
Enzymatic Assay ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Methylobacterium Extorquens ◽  
Biochemical Evidence ◽  
Methylobacterium Extorquens Am1 ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Phosphate Synthase

ABSTRACT An enzymatic assay was developed to measure tetrahydromethanopterin (H4MPT) levels in wild-type and mutant cells of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1. H4MPT was detectable in wild-type cells but not in strains with a mutation of either the orf4 or the dmrA gene, suggesting a role for these two genes in H4MPT biosynthesis. The protein encoded by orf4 catalyzed the reaction of ribofuranosylaminobenzene 5′-phosphate synthase, the first committed step of H4MPT biosynthesis. These results provide the first biochemical evidence for H4MPT biosynthesis genes in bacteria.

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