Immunochemical Analysis of Discoidins I and II at the Cell Surface in Wild Type and Aggregation-Defective Mutants of Dictyostelium discoideum

1982 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Randall Armant ◽  
Edward A. Berger
2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1009-1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Cabral ◽  
Christophe Anjard ◽  
Vivek Malhotra ◽  
William F. Loomis ◽  
Adam Kuspa

ABSTRACT The acyl coenzyme A (CoA) binding protein AcbA is secreted unconventionally and processed into spore differentiation factor 2 (SDF-2), a peptide that coordinates sporulation in Dictyostelium discoideum. We report that AcbA is localized in vesicles that accumulate in the cortex of prespore cells just prior to sporulation. These vesicles are not observed after cells are stimulated to release AcbA but remain visible after stimulation in cells lacking the Golgi reassembly stacking protein (GRASP). Acyl-CoA binding is required for the inclusion of AcbA in these vesicles, and the secretion of AcbA requires N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF). About 1% of the total cellular AcbA can be purified within membrane-bound vesicles. The yield of vesicles decreases dramatically when purified from wild-type cells that were stimulated to release AcbA, whereas the yield from GRASP mutant cells was only modestly altered by stimulation. We suggest that these AcbA-containing vesicles are secretion intermediates and that GRASP functions at a late step leading to the docking/fusion of these vesicles at the cell surface.


Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (12) ◽  
pp. 5294-5303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Rodriguez ◽  
Chialing Tu ◽  
Zhiqiang Cheng ◽  
Tsui-Hua Chen ◽  
Daniel Bikle ◽  
...  

The extracellular Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaR) plays an essential role in mineral homeostasis. Studies to generate CaR-knockout (CaR−/−) mice indicate that insertion of a neomycin cassette into exon 5 of the mouse CaR gene blocks the expression of full-length CaRs. This strategy, however, allows for the expression of alternatively spliced CaRs missing exon 5 [Exon5(−)CaRs]. These experiments addressed whether growth plate chondrocytes (GPCs) from CaR−/− mice express Exon5(−)CaRs and whether these receptors activate signaling. RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry confirmed the expression of Exon5(−)CaR in growth plates from CaR−/− mice. In Chinese hamster ovary or human embryonic kidney-293 cells, recombinant human Exon5(−)CaRs failed to activate phospholipase C likely due to their inability to reach the cell surface as assessed by intact-cell ELISA and immunocytochemistry. Human Exon5(−)CaRs, however, trafficked normally to the cell surface when overexpressed in wild-type or CaR−/− GPCs. Immunocytochemistry of growth plate sections and cultured GPCs from CaR−/− mice showed easily detectable cell-membrane expression of endogenous CaRs (presumably Exon5(−)CaRs), suggesting that trafficking of this receptor form to the membrane can occur in GPCs. In GPCs from CaR−/− mice, high extracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]e) increased inositol phosphate production with a potency comparable with that of wild-type GPCs. Raising [Ca2+]e also promoted the differentiation of CaR−/− GPCs as indicated by changes in proteoglycan accumulation, mineral deposition, and matrix gene expression. Taken together, our data support the idea that expression of Exon5(−)CaRs may compensate for the loss of full-length CaRs and be responsible for sensing changes in [Ca2+]e in GPCs in CaR−/− mice.


Pteridines ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-103
Author(s):  
Hye-Lim Kim ◽  
Hyun-Chul Ryu ◽  
Young Shik Park

AbstractDictyostelium discoideum Ax2 is well-known for the synthesis of d-threo-tetrahydrobiopterin (DH4) with a smaller amount of l-erythro-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). DH4 synthesis from 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin (PPH4) is catalyzed by aldose reductase (AR)-like protein and sepiapterin reductase (SR) via an intermediate 1′-oxo-2′-d-hydroxypropyl tetrahydropterin, which is non-enzymatically oxidized to d-sepiapterin in the absence of SR. However, l-sepiapterin was a dominant product in the reaction of a cellular extract of spr− disrupted in the SR gene. In order to investigate its potential role in tetrahydropteridine synthesis, the enzyme catalyzing l-sepiapterin synthesis from PPH4 was purified from spr−. Via mass spectrometry, the protein was identified to be encoded by alrA. AlrA consists of 297 amino acid residues sharing a high sequence identity with human AR. However, in the co-incubation assay, DH4 synthesis was not detected and, furthermore, the recombinant AlrA was observed to suppress BH4 synthesis by SR, which was known to prefer 1′-oxo-2′-d-hydroxypropyl tetrahydropterin to PPH4. Although intracellular DH4 level in alrA− was decreased to 60% of the wild type, it is presumed to result from the antioxidant function of DH4. Therefore, despite the structural and catalytic identities with human AR, AlrA seems to be involved in neither BH4, nor DH4 synthesis under normal physiological conditions.


2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (5) ◽  
pp. 1304-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angeles Zorreguieta ◽  
Christine Finnie ◽  
J. Allan Downie

ABSTRACT Rhizobium leguminosarum secretes two extracellular glycanases, PlyA and PlyB, that can degrade exopolysaccharide (EPS) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which is used as a model substrate of plant cell wall cellulose polymers. When grown on agar medium, CMC degradation occurred only directly below colonies of R. leguminosarum, suggesting that the enzymes remain attached to the bacteria. Unexpectedly, when a PlyA-PlyB-secreting colony was grown in close proximity to mutants unable to produce or secrete PlyA and PlyB, CMC degradation occurred below that part of the mutant colonies closest to the wild type. There was no CMC degradation in the region between the colonies. By growing PlyB-secreting colonies on a lawn of CMC-nondegrading mutants, we could observe a halo of CMC degradation around the colony. Using various mutant strains, we demonstrate that PlyB diffuses beyond the edge of the colony but does not degrade CMC unless it is in contact with the appropriate colony surface. PlyA appears to remain attached to the cells since no such diffusion of PlyA activity was observed. EPS defective mutants could secrete both PlyA and PlyB, but these enzymes were inactive unless they came into contact with an EPS+ strain, indicating that EPS is required for activation of PlyA and PlyB. However, we were unable to activate CMC degradation with a crude EPS fraction, indicating that activation of CMC degradation may require an intermediate in EPS biosynthesis. Transfer of PlyB to Agrobacterium tumefaciens enabled it to degrade CMC, but this was only observed if it was grown on a lawn ofR. leguminosarum. This indicates that the surface ofA. tumefaciens is inappropriate to activate CMC degradation by PlyB. Analysis of CMC degradation by other rhizobia suggests that activation of secreted glycanases by surface components may occur in other species.


2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 1820-1825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Whitney ◽  
Lacey J. Pearson ◽  
Ryan Lunsford ◽  
Lisa McGill ◽  
Richard H. Gomer ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The Dictyostelium rbrA gene encodes a putative Ariadne ubiquitin ligase. rbrA − cells form defective slugs that cannot phototax. Prestalk cell numbers are reduced in rbrA − slugs, and these prestalk cells do not localize to the tip of slugs. Chimeric slugs containing wild-type cells could phototax and form fruiting bodies.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5744-5749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Verkerke-Van Wijk ◽  
Ji-Yun Kim ◽  
Raymond Brandt ◽  
Peter N. Devreotes ◽  
Pauline Schaap

ABSTRACT Serpentine receptors such as smoothened and frizzled play important roles in cell fate determination during animal development. InDictyostelium discoideum, four serpentine cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptors (cARs) regulate expression of multiple classes of developmental genes. To understand their function, it is essential to know whether each cAR is coupled to a specific gene regulatory pathway or whether specificity results from the different developmental regulation of individual cARs. To distinguish between these possibilities, we measured gene induction in car1 car3 double mutant cell lines that express equal levels of either cAR1, cAR2, or cAR3 under a constitutive promoter. We found that all cARs efficiently mediate both aggregative gene induction by cAMP pulses and induction of postaggregative and prespore genes by persistent cAMP stimulation. Two exceptions to this functional promiscuity were observed. (i) Only cAR1 can mediate adenosine inhibition of cAMP-induced prespore gene expression, a phenomenon that was found earlier in wild-type cells. cAR1’s mediation of adenosine inhibition suggests that cAR1 normally mediates prespore gene induction. (ii) Only cAR2 allows entry into the prestalk pathway. Prestalk gene expression is induced by differentiation-inducing factor (DIF) but only after cells have been prestimulated with cAMP. We found that DIF-induced prestalk gene expression is 10 times higher in constitutive cAR2 expressors than in constitutive cAR1 or cAR3 expressors (which still have endogenous cAR2), suggesting that cAR2 mediates induction of DIF competence. Since in wild-type slugs cAR2 is expressed only in anterior cells, this could explain the so far puzzling observations that prestalk cells differentiate at the anterior region but that DIF levels are actually higher at the posterior region. After the initial induction of DIF competence, cAMP becomes a repressor of prestalk gene expression. This function can again be mediated by cAR1, cAR2, and cAR3.


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