Biomaterial Database

Myosin switching during amoebo-plasmodial differentiation of slime mold, Physarum polycephalum. 1987

T Q Uyeda, and K Kohama

We reported previously that myosins from amoebal and plasmodial stages in the life cycle of Physarum polycephalum differ in the primary structure of heavy chains and phosphorylatable 18,000 Mr light chains, while Ca-binding 14,000 Mr light chains are common to both myosins (Kohama & Takano-Ohmuro, Proc Jpn acad 60B (1984) 431; Kohama et al., J biol chem 260 (1986) 8022). We have carried out immunofluorescence microscopical studies upon differentiating cultures of amoebic colonies, which show apogamic amoebo-plasmodial differentiation as follows: Typical amoebae differentiate into mono-nucleate intermediate cells with swollen nuclei and then into two or multi-nucleate young plasmodia (Anderson et al., Protoplasma 89 (1976) 29. Antibodies against plasmodial myosin heavy chain (PMHC) and 18,000 Mr plasmodial myosin light chain (PMLC18) stained intermediate cells and young plasmodia, but not typical amoebae. On the other hand, antibody against amoebal myosin heavy chain (AMHC) stained typical amoebae and intermediate cells--but not young plasmodia. Thus staining was detected using antibodies against both PMHC and AMHC in intermediate cells. Intermediate cells were also stained by antibody against another plasmodium-specific cytoskeletal protein, viz., high molecular weight actin-binding protein (HMWP). We propose that synthesis of myosin subunits switches immediately from amoebal to plasmodial type in mono-nucleate cells with swollen nuclei. This myosin switching is associated with the initiation of HMWP synthesis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009218	Myosins	A diverse superfamily of proteins that function as translocating proteins. They share the common characteristics of being able to bind ACTINS and hydrolyze MgATP. Myosins generally consist of heavy chains which are involved in locomotion, and light chains which are involved in regulation. Within the structure of myosin heavy chain are three domains: the head, the neck and the tail. The head region of the heavy chain contains the actin binding domain and MgATPase domain which provides energy for locomotion. The neck region is involved in binding the light-chains. The tail region provides the anchoring point that maintains the position of the heavy chain. The superfamily of myosins is organized into structural classes based upon the type and arrangement of the subunits they contain.	Myosin ATPase,ATPase, Actin-Activated,ATPase, Actomyosin,ATPase, Myosin,Actin-Activated ATPase,Actomyosin ATPase,Actomyosin Adenosinetriphosphatase,Adenosine Triphosphatase, Myosin,Adenosinetriphosphatase, Actomyosin,Adenosinetriphosphatase, Myosin,Myosin,Myosin Adenosinetriphosphatase,ATPase, Actin Activated,Actin Activated ATPase,Myosin Adenosine Triphosphatase
D010804	Physarum	A genus of protozoa, formerly also considered a fungus. Characteristics include the presence of violet to brown spores.	Physarums
D005455	Fluorescent Antibody Technique	Test for tissue antigen using either a direct method, by conjugation of antibody with fluorescent dye (FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE, DIRECT) or an indirect method, by formation of antigen-antibody complex which is then labeled with fluorescein-conjugated anti-immunoglobulin antibody (FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE, INDIRECT). The tissue is then examined by fluorescence microscopy.	Antinuclear Antibody Test, Fluorescent,Coon's Technique,Fluorescent Antinuclear Antibody Test,Fluorescent Protein Tracing,Immunofluorescence Technique,Coon's Technic,Fluorescent Antibody Technic,Immunofluorescence,Immunofluorescence Technic,Antibody Technic, Fluorescent,Antibody Technics, Fluorescent,Antibody Technique, Fluorescent,Antibody Techniques, Fluorescent,Coon Technic,Coon Technique,Coons Technic,Coons Technique,Fluorescent Antibody Technics,Fluorescent Antibody Techniques,Fluorescent Protein Tracings,Immunofluorescence Technics,Immunofluorescence Techniques,Protein Tracing, Fluorescent,Protein Tracings, Fluorescent,Technic, Coon's,Technic, Fluorescent Antibody,Technic, Immunofluorescence,Technics, Fluorescent Antibody,Technics, Immunofluorescence,Technique, Coon's,Technique, Fluorescent Antibody,Technique, Immunofluorescence,Techniques, Fluorescent Antibody,Techniques, Immunofluorescence,Tracing, Fluorescent Protein,Tracings, Fluorescent Protein
D000906	Antibodies	Immunoglobulin molecules having a specific amino acid sequence by virtue of which they interact only with the ANTIGEN (or a very similar shape) that induced their synthesis in cells of the lymphoid series (especially PLASMA CELLS).