Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10933165 | Developmental Biology | 2009 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
G protein Gα subunits contribute to the specificity of different signal transduction pathways in Dictyostelium discoideum but Gα subunit-effector interactions have not been previously identified. The requirement of the Dictyostelium Gα4 subunit for MAP kinase (MAPK) activation and the identification of a putative MAPK docking site (D-motif) in this subunit suggested a possible interaction between the Gα4 subunit and MAPKs. In vivo association of the Gα4 subunit and ERK2 was demonstrated by pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Alteration of the D-motif reduced Gα4 subunit-ERK2 interactions but only slightly altered MAPK activation in response to folate. Expression of the Gα4 subunit with the altered D-motif in gα4âcells allowed for slug formation but not the morphogenesis associated with culmination. Expression of this mutant Gα4 subunit was sufficient to rescue chemotactic movement to folate. Alteration of the D-motif also reduced the aggregation defect associated with constitutively active Gα4 subunits. These results suggest Gα4 subunit-MAPK interactions are necessary for developmental morphogenesis but not for chemotaxis to folate.
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Authors
Hoai-Nghia Nguyen, Jeffrey A. Hadwiger,