title: Developmental signal transduction pathways uncovered by genetic suppressors.
abstract: We have found conditions for saturation mutagenesis by restriction enzyme mediated integration that result in plasmid tagging of disrupted genes. Using this method we selected for mutations in genes that act at checkpoints downstream of the intercellular signalling system that controls encapsulation in Dictyostelium discoideum. One of these genes, mkcA, is a member of the mitogen-activating protein kinase cascade family while the other, regA is a novel bipartite gene homologous to response regulators in one part and to cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in the other part. Disruption of either of these genes results in partial suppression of the block to spore formation resulting from the loss of the prestalk genes, tagB and tagC. The products of the tag genes have conserved domains of serine protease attached to ATP-driven transporters, suggesting that they process and export peptide signals. Together, these genes outline an intercellular communication system that coordinates organismal shape with cellular differentiation during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla 92093, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shaulsky
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Escalante
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Loomis
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D016153:Genes, Suppressor; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008322:Mammals; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013172:Spores, Fungal
chemical_list: D011494:Protein Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases