title: bZIP transcription factor interactions regulate DIF responses in Dictyostelium.
abstract: The signalling molecule DIF-1 is required for normal cell fate choice and patterning in Dictyostelium. To understand how these developmental processes are regulated will require knowledge of how cells receive and respond to the DIF-1 signal. Previously, we have described a bZIP transcription factor, DimA, which is required for cells to respond to DIF-1. However, it was unknown whether DimA activity is required to activate the DIF response pathway in certain cells or is a component of the response pathway itself. In this study, we describe the identification of a DimA-related bZIP transcription factor, DimB. Rapid changes in the subcellular localisation of both DimA and DimB in response to DIF-1 suggest that they are directly downstream of the DIF-1 signal. Genetic and biochemical interactions between DimA and DimB provides evidence that their ability to regulate diverse targets in response to DIF-1 is partly due to their ability to form homo- and heterodimeric complexes. DimA and DimB are therefore direct regulators of cellular responses to DIF-1.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Structural Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Eryong
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Simone L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Blagg
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katoh
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shaulsky
authors.forename: Christopher R L
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006588:Hexanones / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis; D010802:Phylogeny; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D006588:Hexanones; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C053433:1-((3,5-dichloro)-2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-1-hexanone