title: Signal transduction, chemotaxis, and cell aggregation in Dictyostelium discoideum cells without myosin heavy chain.
abstract: Dictyostelium discoideum cells have been generated that lack myosin heavy chain (MHC) due to antisense RNA inactivation of the endogenous mRNA or to insertional mutagenesis of the myosin gene. These cells retain chemotactic movement in gradients of the chemoattractant cAMP. Furthermore, cAMP does induce many biochemical and physiological responses in aggregative cells, including binding of cAMP to surface receptors, modification, and down-regulation of the receptor; activation of adenylate and guanylate cyclase, secretion of cAMP; and the association of actin to the Triton-insoluble cytoskeleton. Cells lacking MHC were found to have a requirement for bivalent cations in the medium for optimal chemotaxis and cell aggregation.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology and Genetics Unit, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Loomis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Lozanne
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spudich
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Van Haastert
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D002633:Chemotaxis; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D009154:Mutation; D009218:Myosins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011953:Receptors, Cyclic AMP / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D011953:Receptors, Cyclic AMP; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D009218:Myosins; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium