The kinase regulator mob1 acts as a patterning protein for stentor morphogenesis.
Morphogenesis and pattern formation are vital processes in any organism, whether unicellular or multicellular. But in contrast to the developmental biology of plants and animals, the principles of morphogenesis and pattern formation in single cells remain largely unknown. Although all cells develop patterns, they are most obvious in ciliates; hence, we have turned to a classical unicellular model system, the giant ciliate Stentor coeruleus. Here we show that the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery is conserved in Stentor. Using RNAi, we identify the kinase coactivator Mob1--with conserved functions in cell division and morphogenesis from plants to humans-as an asymmetrically localized patterning protein required for global patterning during development and regeneration in Stentor. Our studies reopen the door for Stentor as a model regeneration system.
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Mark M
MM
Slabodnick
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
J Graham
JG
Ruby
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Joshua G
JG
Dunn
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Jessica L
JL
Feldman
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Joseph L
JL
DeRisi
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
Wallace F
WF
Marshall
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering