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Stage-specific requirement for myosin II during Dictyostelium development
M L Springer1, B Patterson, J A Spudich
1Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305-5307.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|September 1, 1994
Summary
Myosin II heavy chain is crucial for Dictyostelium development, particularly during cell sorting for aggregation and later for stalk and spore formation. Its absence halts multicellular development, leading to aberrant structures.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Myosin II heavy chain is essential for Dictyostelium multicellular development.
- Previous studies show loss of function leads to aggregation but not further development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific roles of myosin II heavy chain throughout Dictyostelium development using a temperature-sensitive mutant.
- To determine the precise developmental stages requiring myosin II function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Dictyostelium mutant with a cold-sensitive myosin heavy chain.
- Performed temperature-shift experiments to rapidly inactivate and restore myosin function.
- Employed Calcofluor staining and reporter gene fusions to analyze developmental structures.
Main Results:
- Myosin II function is essential for correct cell sorting during aggregation and for the final stalk and spore head formation.
- Development proceeds normally between aggregation and terminal differentiation stages without myosin II.
- Loss of myosin II at non-permissive temperatures results in aberrant multicellular structures with defective spores and miniature stalks.
Conclusions:
- Myosin II heavy chain plays critical, stage-specific roles in Dictyostelium multicellular development.
- The precise timing of myosin II function is vital for successful morphogenesis, particularly during early aggregation and late differentiation.