Mutant ras gene induces elevated levels of inositol tris- and hexakisphosphates in Dictyostelium

1988 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
G.N. Europe-Finner ◽  
M.E. Luderus ◽  
N.V. Small ◽  
R. Van Driel ◽  
C.D. Reymond ◽  
...  

Previous studies of Europe-Finner & Newell indicated that in amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum, signal transduction used for chemotaxis to cyclic AMP involved transient formation of inositol tris- and polyphosphates. Evidence was also presented for the involvement of a GTP-binding G-protein. Here we report evidence for the involvement of a ras gene product in the D. discoideum inositol phosphate pathway. Use was made of strains of Dictyostelium transformed with a wild-type D. discoideum ras gene (ras-Gly12) or a mutant form of the gene (ras-Thr12). Experiments using separation of soluble inositol phosphates by Dowex anion-exchange resin chromatography indicated that cells transformed with the wild-type ras-Gly12 gene were unaffected in their basal levels of inositol polyphosphates and in the inositol phosphates formed in response to stimulation with the chemotactic agent cyclic AMP. In contrast, cells transformed with the mutant ras-Thr12 gene showed a basal level of inositol polyphosphate that was several-fold elevated over the controls and stimulation of these cells with cyclic AMP produced only a small further elevation. When the inositol phosphates were analysed by h.p.l.c. it was found that the basal level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate was raised three- to fivefold in the ras-Thr12 strain compared to the strain transformed with ras-Gly12, and that inositol hexakisphosphate (which was found to be present in large amounts relative to other inositol phosphates in D. discoideum cells) was also raised to a similar extent in the ras-Thr12-transformed cells. We propose that the Dictyostelium ras gene product codes for a regulatory protein involved in the inositol phosphate chemotactic signal-transduction pathway.

1989 ◽  
Vol 259 (3) ◽  
pp. 737-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J O Wakelam

The stimulation of inositol phosphate generation in NIH-3T3 cells and a derived transformant overexpressing the p21N-ras gene (T15+ cells) was examined. Incubation with NaF in the presence of Al3+ leads to the generation of inositol phosphates in each cell type, though the response in the T15+ cells is significantly amplified. The effect of fluoroaluminate is dose- and time-dependent. No differences were observed in fluoroaluminate-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation among the cell types. In another NIH-3T3-derived cell line that expresses the transforming lys61 mutant of N-ras, no amplification of fluoroaluminate-stimulated inositol phosphate generation is observed. These results provide support for the proposal that, in the T15 cell line, p21N-ras can act in a guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G-protein)-like manner.


1989 ◽  
Vol 62 (04) ◽  
pp. 1116-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Chetty ◽  
J D Vickers ◽  
R L Kinlough-Rathbone ◽  
M A Packham ◽  
J F Mustard

SummaryEicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) inhibits platelet responsiveness to aggregating agents. To investigate the reactions that are affected by EPA, we examined the effect of preincubating aspirintreated rabbit platelets with EPA on stimulation of inositol phosphate formation in response to the TXA2 analogue U46619. Stimulation of platelets with U46619 (0.5 μM) caused aggregation and slight release of dense granule contents; aggregation and release were inhibited by preincubation of the platelets with EPA (50 μM) for 1 h followed by washing to remove unincorporated EPA. Incubation with EPA (50 μM) for 1 h did not cause a detectable increase in the amount of EPA in the platelet phospholipids. When platelets were prelabelled with [3H]inositol stimulation with U46619 of control platelets that had not been incubated with EPA significantly increased the labelling of mos1tol phosphates. The increases in inositol phosphate labelling due to U46619 at 10 and 60 s were partially inhibited by premcubat10n of the platelets with 50 μM EPA. Since the activity of cyclo-oxygenase was blocked with aspirin, inhibition of inositol phosphate labelling in response to U46619 indicates either that there may be inhibition of signal transduction without a detectable change in the amount of EPA in platelet phospholipids, that changes in signal transduction require only minute changes in the fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids, or that after a 1 h incubation with EPA, activation of phospholipase C is affected by a mechanism that is not directly related to incorporation of EPA.


Genetics ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Schrick ◽  
Barbara Garvik ◽  
Leland H Hartwell

Abstract The mating process in yeast has two distinct aspects. One is the induction and activation of proteins required for cell fusion in response to a pheromone signal; the other is chemotropism, i.e., detection of a pheromone gradient and construction of a fusion site available to the signaling cell. To determine whether components of the signal transduction pathway necessary for transcriptional activation also play a role in chemotropism, we examined strains with null mutations in components of the signal transduction pathway for diploid formation, prezygote formation and the chemotropic process of mating partner discrimination when transcription was induced downstream of the mutation. Cells mutant for components of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade (ste5, ste20, ste11, ste7 or fus3 kss1) formed diploids at a frequency 1% that of the wild-type control, but formed prezygotes as efficiently as the wild-type control and showed good mating partner discrimination, suggesting that the MAP kinase cascade is not essential for chemotropism. In contrast, cells mutant for the receptor (ste2) or the β or γ subunit (ste4 and stel8) of the G protein were extremely defective in both diploid and prezygote formation and discriminated poorly between signaling and nonsignaling mating partners, implying that these components are important for chemotropism.


Genetics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 151 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-117
Author(s):  
Qi Yang ◽  
Katherine A Borkovich

Abstract Heterotrimeric G proteins, consisting of α, β, and γ subunits, transduce environmental signals through coupling to plasma membrane-localized receptors. We previously reported that the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa possesses a Gα protein, GNA-1, that is a member of the Gαi superfamily. Deletion of gna-1 leads to defects in apical extension, differentiation of asexual spores, sensitivity to hyperosmotic media, and female fertility. In addition, Δgna-1 strains have lower intracellular cAMP levels under conditions that promote morphological abnormalities. To further define the function of GNA-1 in signal transduction in N. crassa, we examined properties of strains with mutationally activated gna-1 alleles (R178C or Q204L) as the only source of GNA-1 protein. These mutations are predicted to inhibit the GTPase activity of GNA-1 and lead to constitutive signaling. In the sexual cycle, gna-1R178C and gna-1Q204L strains are female-fertile, but produce fewer and larger perithecia than wild type. During asexual development, gna-1R178C and gna-1Q204L strains elaborate abundant, long aerial hyphae, produce less conidia, and possess lower levels of carotenoid pigments in comparison to wild-type controls. Furthermore, gna-1R178C and gna-1Q204L strains are more sensitive to heat shock and exposure to hydrogen peroxide than wild-type strains, while Δgna-1 mutants are more resistant. In contrast to Δgna-1 mutants, gna-1R178C and gna-1Q204L strains have higher steady-state levels of cAMP than wild type. The results suggest that GNA-1 possesses several Gβγ-independent functions in N. crassa. We propose that GNA-1 mediates signal transduction pathway(s) that regulate aerial hyphae development and sensitivity to heat and oxidative stresses, possibly through modulation of cAMP levels.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 3824-3827
Author(s):  
M Chedid ◽  
S B Mizel

Expression of a highly specific protein inhibitor for cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases in interleukin-1 (IL-1)-responsive cells blocked IL-1-induced gene transcription that was driven by the kappa immunoglobulin enhancer or the human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat. This inhibitor did not affect protein kinase C-mediated gene transcription, suggesting that cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases are involved in the signal transduction pathway for IL-1 in a number of responsive cell types.


2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (19) ◽  
pp. 6365-6375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber N. Bible ◽  
Bonnie B. Stephens ◽  
Davi R. Ortega ◽  
Zhihong Xie ◽  
Gladys Alexandre

ABSTRACT A chemotaxis signal transduction pathway (hereafter called Che1) has been previously identified in the alphaproteobacterium Azospirillum brasilense. Previous experiments have demonstrated that although mutants lacking CheB and/or CheR homologs from this pathway are defective in chemotaxis, a mutant in which the entire chemotaxis pathway has been mutated displayed a chemotaxis phenotype mostly similar to that of the parent strain, suggesting that the primary function of this Che1 pathway is not the control of motility behavior. Here, we report that mutants carrying defined mutations in the cheA1 (strain AB101) and the cheY1 (strain AB102) genes and a newly constructed mutant lacking the entire operon [Δ(cheA1-cheR1)::Cm] (strain AB103) were defective, but not null, for chemotaxis and aerotaxis and had a minor defect in swimming pattern. We found that mutations in genes of the Che1 pathway affected the cell length of actively growing cells but not their growth rate. Cells of a mutant lacking functional cheB1 and cheR1 genes (strain BS104) were significantly longer than wild-type cells, whereas cells of mutants impaired in the cheA1 or cheY1 genes, as well as a mutant lacking a functional Che1 pathway, were significantly shorter than wild-type cells. Both the modest chemotaxis defects and the observed differences in cell length could be complemented by expressing the wild-type genes from a plasmid. In addition, under conditions of high aeration, cells of mutants lacking functional cheA1 or cheY1 genes or the Che1 operon formed clumps due to cell-to-cell aggregation, whereas the mutant lacking functional CheB1 and CheR1 (BS104) clumped poorly, if at all. Further analysis suggested that the nature of the exopolysaccharide produced, rather than the amount, may be involved in this behavior. Interestingly, mutants that displayed clumping behavior (lacking cheA1 or cheY1 genes or the Che1 operon) also flocculated earlier and quantitatively more than the wild-type cells, whereas the mutant lacking both CheB1 and CheR1 was delayed in flocculation. We propose that the Che1 chemotaxis-like pathway modulates the cell length as well as clumping behavior, suggesting a link between these two processes. Our data are consistent with a model in which the function of the Che1 pathway in regulating these cellular functions directly affects flocculation, a cellular differentiation process initiated under conditions of nutritional imbalance.


1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (S1) ◽  
pp. S362-S366 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Bender ◽  
J. T. Neary ◽  
M. D. Norenberg

In a hypoosmotic model of astrocyte swelling, we found that Ca2+ and intracellular signals such as diacylglycerol and inositol phosphate, as well as protein phosphorylation systems, are implicated in the generation and (or) modulation of volume regulatory processes. Cyclic AMP, which also has a significant effect on astrocyte volume regulation, in addition influences some of these second messengers.Key words: astrocyte, Ca2+-dependent protein kinases, Ca2+ influx, cell volume, cyclic AMP, inositol phosphates, protein phosphorylation.


2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (1) ◽  
pp. C423-C431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Liu ◽  
Yukisato Ishida ◽  
Gbolahan Okunade ◽  
Gail J. Pyne-Geithman ◽  
Gary E. Shull ◽  
...  

We previously showed that plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA) activity accounted for 25–30% of relaxation in bladder smooth muscle ( 8 ). Among the four PMCA isoforms only PMCA1 and PMCA4 are expressed in smooth muscle. To address the role of these isoforms, we measured cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) using fura-PE3 and simultaneously measured contractility in bladder smooth muscle from wild-type (WT), Pmca1+/−, Pmca4+/−, Pmca4−/−, and Pmca1+/− Pmca4−/− mice. There were no differences in basal [Ca2+]i values between bladder preparations. KCl (80 mM) elicited both larger forces (150–190%) and increases in [Ca2+]i (130–180%) in smooth muscle from Pmca1+/− and Pmca1+/− Pmca4−/− bladders than those in WT or Pmca4−/−. The responses to carbachol (CCh: 10 μM) were also greater in Pmca1+/− (120–150%) than in WT bladders. In contrast, the responses in Pmca4−/− and Pmca1+/− Pmca4−/− bladders to CCh were significantly smaller (40–50%) than WT. The rise in half-times of force and [Ca2+]i increases in response to KCl and CCh, and the concomitant half-times of their decrease upon washout of agonist were prolonged in Pmca4−/− (130–190%) and Pmca1+/− Pmca4−/− (120–250%) bladders, but not in Pmca1+/− bladders with respect to WT. Our evidence indicates distinct isoform functions with the PMCA1 isoform involved in overall Ca2+ clearance, while PMCA4 is essential for the [Ca2+]i increase and contractile response to the CCh receptor-mediated signal transduction pathway.


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