Transmembrane signaling in Dictyostelium

Extracellular vesicles direct migration by synthesizing and releasing chemotactic signals

Chemotactic signals are relayed to neighboring cells through the secretion of additional chemoattractants. We previously showed in Dictyostelium discoideum that the adenylyl cyclase A, which synthesizes the chemoattractant cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), is present in the intraluminal vesicles of multivesicular bodies (MVBs) that coalesce at the back of cells. Using ultrastructural reconstructions, we now show that ACA-containing MVBs release their contents to attract neighboring cells. We show that the released vesicles are capable of directing migration and streaming and are central to chemotactic signal relay. We demonstrate that the released vesicles not only contain cAMP but also can actively synthesize and release cAMP to promote chemotaxis. Through proteomic, pharmacological, and genetic approaches, we determined that the vesicular cAMP is released via the ABCC8 transporter. Together, our findings show that extracellular vesicles released by Ddiscoideum cells are functional entities that mediate signal relay during chemotaxis and streaming.

Adenylyl cyclase A mRNA localized at the back of cells is actively translated in live chemotaxing Dictyostelium

Dictyostelium discoideum cells transport adenylyl cyclase A (ACA)-containing vesicles to the back of polarized cells to relay exogenous cAMP signals during chemotaxis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments showed that ACA mRNA is also asymmetrically distributed at the back of polarized cells. By using the MS2 bacteriophage system, we now visualize the distribution of ACA mRNA in live chemotaxing cells. We found that the ACA mRNA localization is not dependent on the translation of the protein product and requires multiple cis-acting elements within the ACA-coding sequence. We show that ACA mRNA is associated with actively translating ribosomes and is transported along microtubules towards the back of cells. By monitoring the recovery of ACA-YFP after photobleaching, we observed that local translation of ACA-YFP occurs at the back of cells. These data represent a novel functional role for localized translation in the relay of chemotactic signals during chemotaxis.

Adenylyl cyclase mRNA localizes to the posterior of polarized DICTYOSTELIUM cells during chemotaxis

BACKGROUND

In Dictyostelium discoideum, vesicular transport of the adenylyl cyclase A (ACA) to the posterior of polarized cells is essential to relay exogenous 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signals during chemotaxis and for the collective migration of cells in head-to-tail arrangements called streams.

RESULTS

Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), we discovered that the ACA mRNA is asymmetrically distributed at the posterior of polarized cells. Using both standard estimators and Monte Carlo simulation methods, we found that the ACA mRNA enrichment depends on the position of the cell within a stream, with the posterior localization of ACA mRNA being strongest for cells at the end of a stream. By monitoring the recovery of ACA-YFP after cycloheximide (CHX) treatment, we observed that ACA mRNA and newly synthesized ACA-YFP first emerge as fluorescent punctae that later accumulate to the posterior of cells. We also found that the ACA mRNA localization requires 3' ACA cis-acting elements.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our findings suggest that the asymmetric distribution of ACA mRNA allows the local translation and accumulation of ACA protein at the posterior of cells. These data represent a novel functional role for localized translation in the relay of chemotactic signal during chemotaxis.

The interplay of cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion in collective cell migration

Collective cell migration often involves notable cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesions and highly coordinated motion of touching cells. We focus on the interplay between cell-substrate adhesion and cell-cell adhesion. We show that the loss of cell-surface contact does not significantly alter the dynamic pattern of protrusions and retractions of fast migrating amoeboid cells (Dictyostelium discoideum), but significantly changes their ability to adhere to other cells. Analysis of the dynamics of cell shapes reveals that cells that are adherent to a surface may coordinate their motion with neighbouring cells through protrusion waves that travel across cell-cell contacts. However, while shape waves exist if cells are detached from surfaces, they do not couple cell to cell. In addition, our investigation of actin polymerization indicates that loss of cell-surface adhesion changes actin polymerization at cell-cell contacts. To further investigate cell-cell/cell-substrate interactions, we used optical micromanipulation to form cell-substrate contact at controlled locations. We find that both cell-shape dynamics and cytoskeletal activity respond rapidly to the formation of cell-substrate contact.

Actin-binding protein G (AbpG) participates in modulating the actin cytoskeleton and cell migration in Dictyostelium discoideum

Dictyostelium cells lacking actin-binding protein G (AbpG) migrate at a reduced speed and display elevated F-actin levels. AbpG is enriched in the cortical/lamellipodial regions and colocalizes with F-actin. A novel protein domain in AbpG mediates the interaction with F-actin and is required for the cellular function of AbpG.

Cell migration is involved in various physiological and pathogenic events, and the complex underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The simple eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum displays chemotactic locomotion in stages of its life cycle. By characterizing a Dictyostelium mutant defective in chemotactic responses, we identified a novel actin-binding protein serving to modulate cell migration and named it actin-binding protein G (AbpG); this 971–amino acid (aa) protein contains an N-terminal type 2 calponin homology (CH2) domain followed by two large coiled-coil regions. In chemoattractant gradients, abpG⁻ cells display normal directional persistence but migrate significantly more slowly than wild-type cells; expressing Flag-AbpG in mutant cells eliminates the motility defect. AbpG is enriched in cortical/lamellipodial regions and colocalizes well with F-actin; aa 401–600 and aa 501–550 fragments of AbpG show the same distribution as full-length AbpG. The aa 501–550 region of AbpG, which is essential for AbpG to localize to lamellipodia and to rescue the phenotype of abpG⁻ cells, is sufficient for binding to F-actin and represents a novel actin-binding protein domain. Compared with wild-type cells, abpG⁻ cells have significantly higher F-actin levels. Collectively our results suggest that AbpG may participate in modulating actin dynamics to optimize cell locomotion.

Preparation of chemotactically competent Dictyostelium cells

Environmental changes result in signaling events in cell membranes. To develop the means to understand these events at the molecular level, it is essential to become familiar with the stochastic nature of signaling molecules in living cells. Using total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy (TIRFM), these signaling events can be directly observed at the single-molecule level. This protocol describes the preparation of chemotactically competent Dictyostelium cells. These cells are highly sensitive to chemoattractant stimulation and can be used to visualize single molecules with TIRFM.

Costars, a Dictyostelium protein similar to the C-terminal domain of STARS, regulates the actin cytoskeleton and motility

Through analysis of a chemotaxis mutant obtained from a genetic screen in Dictyostelium discoideum, we have identified a new gene involved in regulating cell migration and have named it costars (cosA). The 82 amino acid Costars protein sequence appears highly conserved among diverse species, and significantly resembles the C-terminal region of the striated muscle activator of Rho signaling (STARS), a mammalian protein that regulates the serum response factor transcriptional activity through actin binding and Rho GTPase activation. The cosA-null (cosA(-)) cells formed smooth plaques on bacterial lawns, produced abnormally small fruiting bodies when developed on the non-nutrient agar and displayed reduced migration towards the cAMP source in chemotactic assays. Analysis of cell motion in cAMP gradients revealed decreased speed but wild-type-like directional persistence of cosA(-) cells, suggesting a defect in the cellular machinery for motility rather than for chemotactic orientation. Consistent with this notion, cosA(-) cells exhibited changes in the actin cytoskeleton, showing aberrant distribution of F-actin in fluorescence cell staining and an increased amount of cytoskeleton-associated actin. Excessive pseudopod formation was also noted in cosA(-) cells facing chemoattractant gradients. Expressing cosA or its human counterpart mCostars eliminated abnormalities of cosA(-) cells. Together, our results highlight a role for Costars in modulating actin dynamics and cell motility.

Expression of Y53A-actin in Dictyostelium disrupts the cytoskeleton and inhibits intracellular and intercellular chemotactic signaling

We showed previously that phosphorylation of Tyr(53), or its mutation to Ala, inhibits actin polymerization in vitro with formation of aggregates of short filaments, and that expression of Y53A-actin in Dictyostelium blocks differentiation and development at the mound stage (Liu, X., Shu, S., Hong, M. S., Levine, R. L., and Korn, E. D. (2006) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103, 13694-13699; Liu, X., Shu, S., Hong, M. S., Yu, B., and Korn, E. D. (2010) J. Biol. Chem. 285, 9729-9739). We now show that expression of Y53A-actin, which does not affect cell growth, phagocytosis, or pinocytosis, inhibits the formation of head-to-tail cell streams during cAMP-induced aggregation, although individual amoebae chemotax normally. We show that expression of Y53A-actin causes a 50% reduction of cell surface cAMP receptors, and inhibits cAMP-induced increases in adenylyl cyclase A activity, phosphorylation of ERK2, and actin polymerization. Trafficking of vesicles containing adenylyl cyclase A to the rear of the cell and secretion of the ACA vesicles are also inhibited. The actin cytoskeleton of cells expressing Y53A-actin is characterized by numerous short filaments, and bundled and aggregated filaments similar to the structures formed by copolymerization of purified Y53A-actin and wild-type actin in vitro. This disorganized actin cytoskeleton may be responsible for the inhibition of intracellular and intercellular cAMP signaling in cells expressing F-Y53A-actin.

Cell speed, persistence and information transmission during signal relay and collective migration

Collective migration is a key feature of the social amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum, where the binding of chemoattractants leads to the production and secretion of additional chemoattractant and the relay of the signal to neighboring cells. This then guides cells to migrate collectively in a head-to-tail fashion. We used mutants that were defective in signal relay to elucidate which quantitative metrics of cell migration are most strongly affected by signal relay and collective motion. We show that neither signal relay nor collective motion markedly impact the speed of cell migration. Cells maintained a preferred overall direction of motion for several minutes with similar persistence, regardless of whether or not they were attracted to moving neighbors, moving collectively in contact with their neighbors, or simply following a fixed exogenous signal. We quantitatively establish that signal relay not only increases the number of cells that respond to a chemotactic signal, but most remarkably, also transmits information about the location of the source accurately over large distances, independently of the strength of the exogenous signal. We envision that signal relay has a similar key role in the migration of a variety of chemotaxing mammalian cells that can relay chemoattractant signals.

Real-time measurements of cAMP production in live Dictyostelium cells

Cyclic AMP has a crucial role during the entire developmental program of the social amoebae Dictyostelium, acting both as an intracellular second messenger and, when secreted, as a directional cue that is relayed to neighboring cells during chemotaxis. Although significant knowledge about cAMP production in chemotaxing cells has been derived from studies performed on cell populations, cAMP dynamics at the single cell level have not been investigated. To examine this, we used a FRET-based cAMP sensor that possesses high cAMP sensitivity and great temporal resolution. We show the transient profile of cAMP accumulation in live Dictyostelium cells and establish that chemoattractants control intracellular cAMP dynamics by regulating synthesis via the adenylyl cyclase ACA. aca(-) cells show no significant change in FRET response following chemoattractant addition. Furthermore, cells lacking ACB, the other adenylyl cyclase expressed in chemotaxing cells, behave similarly to wild-type cells. We also establish that the RegA is the major phosphodiesterase that degrades intracellular cAMP in chemotaxis-competent cells. Interestingly, we failed to measure intracellular cAMP compartmentalization in actively chemotaxing cells. We conclude that cytosolic cAMP, which is destined to activate PKA, is regulated by ACA and RegA and does not compartmentalize during chemotaxis.

Collective cell migration requires vesicular trafficking for chemoattractant delivery at the trailing edge

Chemoattractant signaling induces the polarization and directed movement of cells secondary to the activation of multiple effector pathways. In addition, chemotactic signals can be amplified and relayed to proximal cells via the synthesis and secretion of additional chemoattractant. The mechanisms underlying such remarkable features remain ill defined. We show that the asymmetrical distribution of adenylyl cyclase (ACA) at the back of Dictyostelium discoideum cells, an essential determinant of their ability to migrate in a head-to-tail fashion, requires vesicular trafficking. This trafficking results in a local accumulation of ACA-containing intracellular vesicles and involves intact actin, microtubule networks, and de novo protein synthesis. We also show that migrating cells leave behind ACA-containing vesicles, likely secreted as multivesicular bodies and presumably involved in the formation of head-to-tail arrays of migrating cells. We propose that similar compartmentalization and shedding mechanisms exist in mammalian cells during embryogenesis, wound healing, neuron growth, and metastasis.

Chemotaxis assays for eukaryotic cells

Chemotaxis is a complex response of a cell to an external stimulus. It involves detecting and measuring the concentration of the chemoattractant, biochemical transmission of the information, and the motility and adhesive changes associated with the response. This unit describes a number of chemotaxis assays that can be used to identify chemoattractants individually and in large-scale screenings, to distinguish chemotaxis from chemokinesis, and to analyze cellular behavioral and biochemical responses. Some of these assays such as the filter, under agarose, and small population assays, can be used to monitor the behavior of large groups of cells; the bridge, pipet, and upshift assays can be used to analyze the responses of single cells.

Isoprenylcysteine carboxy methylation is essential for development in Dictyostelium discoideum

Members of the Ras superfamily of small GTPases and the heterotrimeric G protein gamma subunit are methylated on their carboxy-terminal cysteine residues by isoprenylcysteine methyltransferase. In Dictyostelium discoideum, small GTPase methylation occurs seconds after stimulation of starving cells by cAMP and returns quickly to basal levels, suggesting an important role in cAMP-dependent signaling. Deleting the isoprenylcysteine methyltransferase-encoding gene causes dramatic defects. Starving mutant cells do not propagate cAMP waves in a sustained manner, and they do not aggregate. Motility is rescued when cells are pulsed with exogenous cAMP, or coplated with wild-type cells, but the rescued cells exhibit altered polarity. cAMP-pulsed methyltransferase-deficient cells that have aggregated fail to differentiate, but mutant cells plated in a wild-type background are able to do so. Localization of and signaling by RasG is altered in the mutant. Localization of the heterotrimeric Ggamma protein subunit was normal, but signaling was altered in mutant cells. These data indicate that isoprenylcysteine methylation is required for intercellular signaling and development in Dictyostelium.

Dictyostelium gnt15 encodes a protein with similarity to LARGE and plays an essential role in development

LARGE is a putative glycosyltransferase found to be mutated in mice with myodystrophy or patients with congenital muscular dystrophy. By homology searches, we identified in the Dictyostelium discoideum genome four open reading frames, i.e. gnt12-15, encoding proteins with sequence similarity to LARGE. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed distinct temporal expression patterns of the four gnt genes throughout Dictyostelium development. To explore the gene function, we performed targeted disruptions of gnt14 and gnt15. The gnt14(-) strains showed no obvious phenotypes. However, gnt15(-) cells grew slowly, changed in morphology, and displayed a developmental phenotype arresting at early stages. Compared with the wild type, gnt15(-) cells were more adhesive and exhibited altered levels of some surface adhesion molecules. Moreover, lectin-binding analysis demonstrated that gnt15 disruption affected profiles of membrane glycoproteins. Taken together, our data suggest that Gnt15 is essential for Dictyostelium development and may have a role in modulating cell adhesion and glycosylation.

S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase is localized at the front of chemotaxing cells, suggesting a role for transmethylation during migration

Chemotaxis of bacteria requires regulated methylation of chemoreceptors. However, despite considerable effort in the 1980s, transmethylation has never been established as a component of eukaryotic cell chemotaxis. S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), the product formed when the methyl group of the universal donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is transferred to an acceptor molecule, is a potent inhibitor of all transmethylation reactions. In eukaryotic cells, this inhibition is relieved by hydrolysis of SAH to adenosine and homocysteine catalyzed by SAH hydrolase (SAHH). We now report that SAHH, which is diffuse in the cytoplasm of nonmotile Dictyostelium amoebae and human neutrophils, concentrates with F-actin in pseudopods at the front of motile, chemotaxing cells, but is not present in filopodia or at the very leading edge. Tubercidin, an inhibitor of SAHH, inhibits both chemotaxis and chemotaxis-dependent cell streaming of Dictyostelium, and chemotaxis of neutrophils at concentrations that have little effect on cell viability. Tubercidin does not inhibit starvation-induced expression of the cAMP receptor, cAR1, or G protein-mediated stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity and actin polymerization in Dictyostelium. Tubercidin has no effect on either capping of Con A receptors or phagocytosis in Dictyostelium. These results add SAHH to the list of proteins that redistribute in response to chemotactic signals in Dictyostelium and neutrophils and strongly suggest a role for transmethylation in chemotaxis of eukaryotic cells.

A chemoattractant-mediated Gi-coupled pathway activates adenylyl cyclase in human neutrophils

Neutrophils and Dictyostelium use conserved signal transduction pathways to decipher chemoattractant gradients and migrate directionally. In both cell types, addition of chemoattractants stimulates the production of cAMP, which has been suggested to regulate chemotaxis. We set out to define the mechanism by which chemoattractants increase cAMP levels in human neutrophils. We show that chemoattractants elicit a rapid and transient activation of adenylyl cyclase (AC). This activation is sensitive to pertussis toxin treatment but independent of phosphoinositide-3 kinase activity and an intact cytoskeleton. Remarkably, and in sharp contrast to Galpha(s)-mediated activation, chemoattractant-induced AC activation is lost in cell lysates. Of the nine, differentially regulated transmembrane AC isoforms in the human genome, we find that isoforms III, IV, VII, and IX are expressed in human neutrophils. We conclude that the signal transduction cascade used by chemoattractants to activate AC is conserved in Dictyostelium and human neutrophils and is markedly different from the canonical Galpha(s)-meditated pathway.

Single-molecule analysis of chemoattractant-stimulated membrane recruitment of a PH-domain-containing protein

Molecular mechanisms of chemotactic response are highly conserved among many eukaryotic cells including human leukocytes and Dictyostelium discoideum cells. The cells can sense the differences in chemoattractant concentration across the cell body and respond by extending pseudopods from the cell side facing to a higher concentration. Pseudopod formation is regulated by binding of pleckstrin homology (PH)-domain-containing proteins to phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphates [PtdIns(3,4,5)P3] localized at the leading edge of chemotaxing cells. However, molecular mechanisms underlying dynamic features of a pseudopod have not been fully explained by the known properties of PH-domain-containing proteins. To investigate the mechanisms, we visualized single molecules of green fluorescent protein tagged to Crac (Crac-GFP), a PH-domain-containing protein in D. discoideum cells. Whereas populations of Crac molecules exhibited a stable steady-state localization at pseudopods, individual molecules bound transiently to PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 for approximately 120 milliseconds, indicating dynamic properties of the PH-domain-containing protein. Receptor stimulation did not alter the binding stability but regulated the number of bound PH-domain molecules by metabolism of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. These results demonstrate that the steady-state localization of PH-domain-containing proteins at the leading edge of chemotaxing cells is dynamically maintained by rapid recycling of individual PH-domain-containing proteins. The short interaction between PH domains and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 contributes to accurate and sensitive chemotactic movements through the dynamic redistributions. These dynamic properties might be a common feature of signaling components involved in chemotaxis.

A novel Dictyostelium RasGEF required for chemotaxis and development

BACKGROUND

Ras proteins are guanine-nucleotide-binding enzymes that couple cell surface receptors to intracellular signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation and differentiation, both in lower and higher eukaryotes. They act as molecular switches by cycling between active GTP and inactive GDP-bound states, through the action of two classes of regulatory proteins: a) guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEFs) and b) GTP-ase activating proteins (GAPs). Genome wide analysis of the lower eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum revealed a surprisingly large number of Ras Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors (RasGEFs). RasGEFs promote the activation of Ras proteins by catalyzing the exchange of GDP for GTP, thus conferring to RasGEFs the role of main activator of Ras proteins. Up to date only four RasGEFs, which are all non-redundant either for growth or development, have been characterized in Dictyostelium. We report here the identification and characterization of a fifth non-redundant GEF, RasGEFM.

RESULTS

RasGEFM is a multi-domain protein containing six poly-proline stretches, a DEP, RasGEFN and RasGEF catalytic domain. The rasGEFM gene is differentially expressed during growth and development. Inactivation of the gene results in cells that form small, flat aggregates and fail to develop further. Expression of genes required for aggregation is delayed. Chemotaxis towards cAMP is impaired in the mutant, due to inability to inhibit lateral pseudopods. Endogenous cAMP accumulates during early development to a much lower extent than in wild type cells. Adenylyl cyclase activation in response to cAMP pulses is strongly reduced, by contrast guanylyl cyclase is stimulated to higher levels than in the wild type. The actin polymerization response to cAMP is also altered in the mutant. Cyclic AMP pulsing for several hours partially rescues the mutant. In vitro experiments suggest that RasGEFM acts downstream of the cAMP receptor but upstream of the G protein.

CONCLUSION

The data indicate that RasGEFM is involved in the establishment of the cAMP relay system. We propose that RasGEFM is a component of a Ras regulated pathway, which integrate signals acting as positive regulator for adenylyl cyclase and negative regulator for guanylyl cyclase. Altered guanylyl cyclase, combined with defective regulation of actin polymerization, results in altered chemotaxis.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity controls the chemoattractant-mediated activation and adaptation of adenylyl cyclase

The binding of chemoattractants to cognate G protein-coupled receptors activates a variety of signaling cascades that provide spatial and temporal cues required for chemotaxis. When subjected to uniform stimulation, these responses are transient, showing an initial peak of activation followed by a period of adaptation, in which activity subsides even in the presence of stimulus. A tightly regulated balance between receptor-mediated stimulatory and inhibitory pathways controls the kinetics of activation and subsequent adaptation. In Dictyostelium, the adenylyl cyclase expressed during aggregation (ACA), which synthesizes the chemoattractant cAMP, is essential to relay the signal to neighboring cells. Here, we report that cells lacking phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity are deficient in signal relay. In LY294002-treated cells, this defect is because of a loss of ACA activation. In contrast, in cells lacking PI3K1 and PI3K2, the signal relay defect is because of a loss of ACA adaptation. We propose that the residual low level of 3-phosphoinositides in pi3k(1-/2-) cells is sufficient to generate the initial peak of ACA activity, yet is insufficient to sustain the inhibitory phase required for its adaptation. Thus, PI3K activity is poised to regulate both ACA activation and adaptation, thereby providing a link to ensure the proper balance of counteracting signals required to maintain optimal chemoresponsiveness.

Loss-of-function mutations identified in the Helical domain of the G protein alpha-subunit, G alpha2, of Dictyostelium discoideum

The guanine nucleotide binding regulatory proteins (G proteins) play essential roles in a wide variety of physiological processes, such as vision, hormone responses, olfaction, immune response, and development. The heterotrimeric G proteins consist of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-subunits and act as molecular switches to relay information from transmembrane receptors to intracellular effectors. The switch mechanism is a function of the inherent GTPase activity of the alpha-subunit. The alpha-subunit is comprised of two domains, the GTPase domain and the Helical domain. The GTPase domain performs all of the known alpha-subunit functions while little is know about the role of the Helical domain. To gain a better understanding of alpha-subunit function, we performed a screen for loss-of-function mutations, using the G alpha2-subunit of Dictyostelium. G alpha2 is essential for the developmental life cycle of Dictyostelium. It is known that the loss of G alpha2 function results in a failure of cells to enter the developmental phase, producing a visibly abnormal phenotype. This allows the easy identification of amino acids essential to G alpha2 function. A library of random point mutations in the g alpha2 cDNA was constructed using low fidelity polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The library was then expressed in a g alpha2 null cell line and screened for loss-of-function mutations. Mutations were identified in isolated clones by sequencing the g alpha2 insert. To date, sixteen single amino acids changes have been identified in G alpha2 which result in loss-of-function. Of particular interest are seven mutations found in the Helical domain of the alpha-subunit. These loss-of-function mutations in the alpha-subunit Helical domain may provide important insight into its function.

Novel Mechanism of PTEN Regulation by Its Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate Binding Motif Is Critical for Chemotaxis

In chemotaxing cells, localization of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3) to the leading edge of the cell sets the direction and regulates the formation of pseudopods at the anterior. We show that the lipid phosphatase activity of PTEN mediates chemotaxis and that the sharp localization of PI(3,4,5)P3 requires localization of PTEN to the rear of the cell. Our data suggest that a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) binding motif at the N terminus of PTEN serves the dual role of localizing the enzyme to the membrane and regulating its activity. Mutations in this motif enhance catalytic activity but render the enzyme inactive in vivo by preventing membrane association. The key role of this motif may explain the heretofore puzzling tumor-suppressing mutations occurring within the PI(4,5)P2 binding motif. On the other hand, the localization of PTEN does not depend on its phosphatase activity, the actin cytoskeleton, or the intracellular level of PI(3,4,5)P3, suggesting that events controlling localization are upstream of phosphoinositide signaling.

A regulator of G protein signaling-containing kinase is important for chemotaxis and multicellular development in dictyostelium

We have identified a gene encoding RGS domain-containing protein kinase (RCK1), a novel regulator of G protein signaling domain-containing protein kinase. RCK1 mutant strains exhibit strong aggregation and chemotaxis defects. rck1 null cells chemotax approximately 50% faster than wild-type cells, suggesting RCK1 plays a negative regulatory role in chemotaxis. Consistent with this finding, overexpression of wild-type RCK1 reduces chemotaxis speed by approximately 40%. On cAMP stimulation, RCK1 transiently translocates to the membrane/cortex region with membrane localization peaking at approximately 10 s, similar to the kinetics of membrane localization of the pleckstrin homology domain-containing proteins CRAC, Akt/PKB, and PhdA. RCK1 kinase activity also increases dramatically. The RCK1 kinase activity does not rapidly adapt, but decreases after the cAMP stimulus is removed. This is particularly novel considering that most other chemoattractant-activated kinases (e.g., Akt/PKB, ERK1, ERK2, and PAKa) rapidly adapt after activation. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we further show that both the RGS and kinase domains are required for RCK1 function and that RCK1 kinase activity is required for the delocalization of RCK1 from the plasma membrane. Genetic evidence suggests RCK1 function lies downstream from Galpha2, the heterotrimeric G protein that couples to the cAMP chemoattractant receptors. We suggest that RCK1 might be part of an adaptation pathway that regulates aspects of chemotaxis in Dictyostelium.

Adenylyl cyclase localization regulates streaming during chemotaxis

We studied the role of the adenylyl cyclase ACA in Dictyostelium discoideum chemotaxis and streaming. In this process, cells orient themselves in a head to tail fashion as they are migrating to form aggregates. We show that cells lacking ACA are capable of moving up a chemoattractant gradient, but are unable to stream. Imaging of ACA-YFP reveals plasma membrane labeling highly enriched at the uropod of polarized cells. This localization requires the actin cytoskeleton but is independent of the regulator CRAC and the effector PKA. A constitutively active mutant of ACA shows dramatically reduced uropod enrichment and has severe streaming defects. We propose that the asymmetric distribution of ACA provides a compartment from which cAMP is secreted to locally act as a chemoattractant, thereby providing a unique mechanism to amplify chemical gradients. This could represent a general mechanism that cells use to amplify chemotactic responses.

Tail chimeras of Dictyostelium myosin II support cytokinesis and other myosin II activities but not full development

Dictyostelium lacking myosin II cannot grow in suspension culture, develop beyond the mound stage or cap concanavalin A receptors and chemotaxis is impaired. Recently, we showed that the actin-activated MgATPase activity of myosin chimeras in which the tail domain of Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain is replaced by the tail domain of either Acanthamoeba or chicken smooth muscle myosin II is unregulated and about 20 times higher than wild-type myosin. The Acanthamoeba chimera forms short bipolar filaments similar to, but shorter than, filaments of Dictyostelium myosin and the smooth muscle chimera forms much larger side-polar filaments. We now find that the Acanthamoeba chimera expressed in myosin null cells localizes to the periphery of vegetative amoeba similarly to wild-type myosin but the smooth muscle chimera is heavily concentrated in a single cortical patch. Despite their different tail sequences and filament structures and different localization of the smooth muscle chimera in interphase cells, both chimeras support growth in suspension culture and concanavalin A capping and colocalize with the ConA cap but the Acanthamoeba chimera subsequently disperses more slowly than wild-type myosin and the smooth muscle chimera apparently not at all. Both chimeras also partially rescue chemotaxis. However, neither supports full development. Thus, neither regulation of myosin activity, nor regulation of myosin polymerization nor bipolar filaments is required for many functions of Dictyostelium myosin II and there may be no specific sequence required for localization of myosin to the cleavage furrow.

Myosin II dynamics in Dictyostelium: determinants for filament assembly and translocation to the cell cortex during chemoattractant responses

In the simple amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, myosin II filament assembly is regulated primarily by the action of a set of myosin heavy chain (MHC) kinases and by MHC phosphatase activity. Chemoattractant signals acting via G-protein coupled receptors lead to rapid recruitment of myosin II to the cell cortex, but the structural determinants on myosin necessary for translocation and the second messengers upstream of MHC kinases and phosphatases are not well understood. We report here the use of GFP-myosin II fusions to characterize the domains necessary for myosin II filament assembly and cytoskeletal recruitment during responses to global stimulation with the developmental chemoattractant cAMP. Analysis performed with GFP-myosin fusions, and with latrunculin A-treated cells, demonstrated that F-actin binding via the myosin motor domain together with concomitant filament assembly mediates the rapid cortical translocation observed in response to chemoattractant stimulation. A "headless" GFP-myosin construct lacking the motor domain was unable to translocate to the cell cortex in response to chemoattractant stimulation, suggesting that myosin motor-based motility may drive translocation. This lack of localization contrasts with previous work demonstrating accumulation of the same construct in the cleavage furrow of dividing cells, suggesting that recruitment signals and interactions during cytokinesis differ from those during chemoattractant responses. Evaluating upstream signaling, we find that iplA null mutants, devoid of regulated calcium fluxes during chemoattractant stimulation, display full normal chemoattractant-stimulated myosin assembly and translocation. These results indicate that calcium transients are not necessary for chemoattractant-regulated myosin II filament assembly and translocation.

Monitoring receptor-mediated activation of heterotrimeric G-proteins by fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-centered fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) relies on a distance-dependent transfer of energy from a donor fluorophore to an acceptor fluorophore and can be used to examine protein interactions in living cells. Here we describe a method to monitor the association and disassociation of heterotrimeric GTP-binding (G-proteins) from one another before and after stimulation of coupled receptors in living Dictyostelium discoideum cells. The Galpha(2)and Gbetagamma proteins were tagged with cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins and used to observe the state of the G-protein heterotrimer. Data from emission spectra were used to detect the FRET fluorescence and to determine kinetics and dose-response curves of bound ligand and analogs. Extending G-protein FRET to mammalian G-proteins should enable direct in situ mechanistic studies and applications such as drug screening and identifying ligands of new G-protein-coupled receptors.

Tumor suppressor PTEN mediates sensing of chemoattractant gradients

Shallow gradients of chemoattractants, sensed by G protein-linked signaling pathways, elicit localized binding of PH domains specific for PI(3,4,5)P3 at sites on the membrane where rearrangements of the cytoskeleton and pseudopod extension occur. Disruption of the PI 3-phosphatase, PTEN, in Dictyostelium discoideum dramatically prolonged and broadened the PH domain relocation and actin polymerization responses, causing the cells lacking PTEN to follow a circuitous route toward the attractant. Exogenously expressed PTEN-GFP localized to the surface membrane at the rear of the cell. Membrane localization required a putative PI(4,5)P2 binding motif and was required for chemotaxis. These results suggest that specific phosphoinositides direct actin polymerization to the cell's leading edge and regulation of PTEN through a feedback loop plays a critical role in gradient sensing and directional migration.

Regulation of adenylyl cyclases by a region outside the minimally functional cytoplasmic domains

The highly conserved topological structure of G protein-activated adenylyl cyclases seems unnecessary because the soluble cytoplasmic domains retain regulatory and catalytic properties. Yet, we previously isolated a constitutively active mutant of the Dictyostelium discoideum adenylyl cyclase harboring a single point mutation in the region linking the cytoplasmic and membrane domains (Leu-394). We show here that multiple amino acid substitutions at Leu-394 also display constitutive activity. The constitutive activity of these mutants is not dependent on G proteins or cytosolic regulators, although some of the mutants can be activated to higher levels than wild type. Combining a constitutive mutation such as L394T with K482N, a point mutation that renders the enzyme insensitive to regulators, restores an enzyme with wild type properties of low basal activity and the capacity to be activated by G proteins. Thus regions located outside the cytoplasmic loops of adenylyl cyclases are not only important in the acquisition of an activated conformation, they also have impact on other regions within the catalytic core of the enzyme.

Single-molecule analysis of chemotactic signaling in Dictyostelium cells

Single-molecule imaging techniques were used to reveal the binding of individual cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate molecules to heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein coupled receptors on the surface of living Dictyostelium discoideum cells. The binding sites were uniformly distributed and diffused rapidly in the plane of the membrane. The probabilities of individual association and dissociation events were greater for receptors at the anterior end of the cell. Agonist-induced receptor phosphorylation had little effect on any of the monitored properties, whereas G protein coupling influenced the binding kinetics. These observations illustrate the dynamic properties of receptors involved in gradient sensing and suggest that these may be polarized in chemotactic cells.

Ggamma in dictyostelium: its role in localization of gbetagamma to the membrane is required for chemotaxis in shallow gradients

G-protein-mediated signal transduction pathways play an essential role in the developmental program of the simple eukaryotic organism Dictyostelium discoideum. Database searches have yielded 11 Galpha-subunits, a single Gbeta-subunit, but no Ggamma-subunits. We report here the purification, cDNA isolation, and functional analysis of a Ggamma-subunit. Like Gbeta, the Ggamma appears to be unique and hybridization studies show that Ggamma and Gbeta are expressed in parallel during development. Species-wide sequence comparisons of Ggamma-subunits and gamma-like domains of RGS proteins reveal short stretches of highly conserved residues as well as the common CXXL motif at the COOH-terminal of Ggammas that target Gbetagammas to plasma membrane. Overexpression of a CSVL-deleted Ggamma (GgammaDelta) in wild-type cells shifts Gbetagamma to the cytosol and selectively impairs certain G-protein-mediated signal transduction pathways. These cells are able to respond to increments in the stimulus, but are unable to sense chemoattractant gradients. They neither move directionally nor recruit PH-domains to their leading edge. Thus, a full complement of membrane-tethered Gbetagamma is required for sensing shallow gradients, but is not essential for responses to increments in extracellular stimuli.

An SH2-domain-containing kinase negatively regulates the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase pathway

SHK1 is a novel dual-specificity kinase that contains an SH2 domain in its C-terminal region. We demonstrate that SHK1 is required for proper chemotaxis and phagocytosis. Mutant shk1 null cells lack polarity, move very slowly, and exhibit an elevated and temporally extended chemoattractant-mediated activation of the kinase Akt/PKB. GFP fusions of the PH domain of Akt/PKB or the PH-domain-containing protein CRAC, which become transiently associated with the plasma membrane after a global stimulation with a chemoattractant, remain associated with the plasma membrane for an extended period of time in shk1 null cells. These results suggest that SHK1 is a negative regulator of the PI3K (phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase) pathway. Furthermore, when a chemoattractant gradient is applied to a wild-type cell, these PH-domain-containing proteins and the F-actin-binding protein coronin localize to its leading edge, but in an shk1 null cell they become randomly associated with the plasma membrane and cortex, irrespective of the direction of the chemoattractant gradient, suggesting that SHK1 is required for the proper spatiotemporal control of F-actin levels in chemotaxing cells. Consistent with such functions, SHK1 is localized at the plasma membrane/cortex, and we show that its SH2 domain is required for this localization and the proper function of SHK1.

The control of chemotactic cell movement during Dictyostelium morphogenesis

Differential cell movement is an important mechanism in the development and morphogenesis of many organisms. In many cases there are indications that chemotaxis is a key mechanism controlling differential cell movement. This can be particularly well studied in the starvation-induced multicellular development of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Upon starvation, up to 10(5) individual amoebae aggregate to form a fruiting body The cells aggregate by chemotaxis in response to propagating waves of cAMP, initiated by an aggregation centre. During their chemotactic aggregation the cells start to differentiate into prestalk and prespore cells, precursors to the stalk and spores that form the fruiting body. These cells enter the aggregate in a random order but then sort out to form a simple axial pattern in the slug. Our experiments strongly suggest that the multicellular aggregates (mounds) and slugs are also organized by propagating cAMP waves and, furthermore, that cell-type-specific differences in signalling and chemotaxis result in cell sorting, slug formation and movement.

The Dictyostelium RasS protein is required for macropinocytosis, phagocytosis and the control of cell movement

Endocytosis and cell migration both require transient localised remodelling of the cell cortex. Several lines of evidence suggest a key regulatory role in these activities for members of the Ras family of small GTPases. We have generated Dictyostelium cells lacking one member of this family, RasS, and the mutant cells are perturbed in endocytosis and cell migration. Mutant amoebae are defective in phagocytosis and fluid-phase endocytosis and are impaired in growth. Conversely, the rasS(-)cells show an enhanced rate of cell migration, moving three times faster than wild-type controls. The mutant cells display an aberrant morphology, are highly polarised, carry many elongated actin protrusions and show a concomitant decrease in formation of pinocytic crowns on the cell surface. These morphological aberrations are paralleled by changes in the actin cytoskeleton, with a significant proportion of the cortical F-actin relocalised to prominent pseudopodia. Rapid migration and endocytosis appear to be mutually incompatible and it is likely that RasS protein is required to maintain the normal balance between these two actin-dependent processes.

PAKa, a putative PAK family member, is required for cytokinesis and the regulation of the cytoskeleton in Dictyostelium discoideum cells during chemotaxis

We have identified a Dictyostelium discoideum gene encoding a serine/threonine kinase, PAKa, a putative member of the Ste20/PAK family of p21-activated kinases, with a kinase domain and a long NH(2)-terminal regulatory domain containing an acidic segment, a polyproline domain, and a CRIB domain. PAKa colocalizes with myosin II to the cleavage furrow of dividing cells and the posterior of polarized, chemotaxing cells via its NH(2)-terminal domain. paka null cells are defective in completing cytokinesis in suspension. PAKa is also required for maintaining the direction of cell movement, suppressing lateral pseudopod extension, and proper retraction of the posterior of chemotaxing cells. paka null cells are defective in myosin II assembly, as the myosin II cap in the posterior of chemotaxing cells and myosin II assembly into cytoskeleton upon cAMP stimulation are absent in these cells, while constitutively active PAKa leads to an upregulation of myosin II assembly. PAKa kinase activity against histone 2B is transiently stimulated and PAKa incorporates into the cytoskeleton with kinetics similar to those of myosin II assembly in response to chemoattractant signaling. However, PAKa does not phosphorylate myosin II. We suggest that PAKa is a major regulator of myosin II assembly, but does so by negatively regulating myosin II heavy chain kinase.

A novel Ras-interacting protein required for chemotaxis and cyclic adenosine monophosphate signal relay in Dictyostelium

We have identified a novel Ras-interacting protein from Dictyostelium, RIP3, whose function is required for both chemotaxis and the synthesis and relay of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) chemoattractant signal. rip3 null cells are unable to aggregate and lack receptor activation of adenylyl cyclase but are able, in response to cAMP, to induce aggregation-stage, postaggregative, and cell-type-specific gene expression in suspension culture. In addition, rip3 null cells are unable to properly polarize in a cAMP gradient and chemotaxis is highly impaired. We demonstrate that cAMP stimulation of guanylyl cyclase, which is required for chemotaxis, is reduced approximately 60% in rip3 null cells. This reduced activation of guanylyl cyclase may account, in part, for the defect in chemotaxis. When cells are pulsed with cAMP for 5 h to mimic the endogenous cAMP oscillations that occur in wild-type strains, the cells will form aggregates, most of which, however, arrest at the mound stage. Unlike the response seen in wild-type strains, the rip3 null cell aggregates that form under these experimental conditions are very small, which is probably due to the rip3 null cell chemotaxis defect. Many of the phenotypes of the rip3 null cell, including the inability to activate adenylyl cyclase in response to cAMP and defects in chemotaxis, are very similar to those of strains carrying a disruption of the gene encoding the putative Ras exchange factor AleA. We demonstrate that aleA null cells also exhibit a defect in cAMP-mediated activation of guanylyl cyclase similar to that of rip3 null cells. A double-knockout mutant (rip3/aleA null cells) exhibits a further reduction in receptor activation of guanylyl cyclase, and these cells display almost no cell polarization or movement in cAMP gradients. As RIP3 preferentially interacts with an activated form of the Dictyostelium Ras protein RasG, which itself is important for cell movement, we propose that RIP3 and AleA are components of a Ras-regulated pathway involved in integrating chemotaxis and signal relay pathways that are essential for aggregation.

Evidence that the Dictyostelium Dd-STATa protein is a repressor that regulates commitment to stalk cell differentiation and is also required for efficient chemotaxis

Dd-STATa is a structural and functional homologue of the metazoan STAT (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription) proteins. We show that Dd-STATa null cells exhibit several distinct developmental phenotypes. The aggregation of Dd-STATa null cells is delayed and they chemotax slowly to a cyclic AMP source, suggesting a role for Dd-STATa in these early processes. In Dd-STATa null strains, slug-like structures are formed but they have an aberrant pattern of gene expression. In such slugs, ecmB/lacZ, a marker that is normally specific for cells on the stalk cell differentiation pathway, is expressed throughout the prestalk region. Stalk cell differentiation in Dictyostelium has been proposed to be under negative control, mediated by repressor elements present in the promoters of stalk cell-specific genes. Dd-STATa binds these repressor elements in vitro and the ectopic expression of ecmB/lacZ in the null strain provides in vivo evidence that Dd-STATa is the repressor protein that regulates commitment to stalk cell differentiation. Dd-STATa null cells display aberrant behavior in a monolayer assay wherein stalk cell differentiation is induced using the stalk cell morphogen DIF. The ecmB gene, a general marker for stalk cell differentiation, is greatly overinduced by DIF in Dd-STATa null cells. Also, Dd-STATa null cells are hypersensitive to DIF for expression of ST/lacZ, a marker for the earliest stages in the differentiation of one of the stalk cell sub-types. We suggest that both these manifestations of DIF hypersensitivity in the null strain result from the balance between activation and repression of the promoter elements being tipped in favor of activation when the repressor is absent. Paradoxically, although Dd-STATa null cells are hypersensitive to the inducing effects of DIF and readily form stalk cells in monolayer assay, the Dd-STATa null cells show little or no terminal stalk cell differentiation within the slug. Dd-STATa null slugs remain developmentally arrested for several days before forming very small spore masses supported by a column of apparently undifferentiated cells. Thus, complete stalk cell differentiation appears to require at least two events: a commitment step, whereby the repression exerted by Dd-STATa is lifted, and a second step that is blocked in a Dd-STATa null organism. This latter step may involve extracellular cAMP, a known repressor of stalk cell differentiation, because Dd-STATa null cells are abnormally sensitive to the inhibitory effects of extracellular cyclic AMP.

Chemoattractant-mediated transient activation and membrane localization of Akt/PKB is required for efficient chemotaxis to cAMP in Dictyostelium

Chemotaxis-competent cells respond to a variety of ligands by activating second messenger pathways leading to changes in the actin/myosin cytoskeleton and directed cell movement. We demonstrate that Dictyostelium Akt/PKB, a homologue of mammalian Akt/PKB, is very rapidly and transiently activated by the chemoattractant cAMP. This activation takes place through G protein-coupled chemoattractant receptors via a pathway that requires homologues of mammalian p110 phosphoinositide-3 kinase. pkbA null cells exhibit aggregation-stage defects that include aberrant chemotaxis, a failure to polarize properly in a chemoattractant gradient and aggregation at low densities. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that the PH domain of Akt/PKB fused to GFP transiently translocates to the plasma membrane in response to cAMP with kinetics similar to those of Akt/PKB kinase activation and is localized to the leading edge of chemotaxing cells in vivo. Our results indicate Akt/PKB is part of the regulatory network required for sensing and responding to the chemoattractant gradient that mediates chemotaxis and aggregation.

Identification of darlin, a Dictyostelium protein with Armadillo-like repeats that binds to small GTPases and is important for the proper aggregation of developing cells

We purified from Dictyostelium lysates an 88-kDa protein that bound to a subset of small GTPases, including racE, racC, cdc42Hs, and TC4ran, but did not bind to R-ras or rabB. Cloning of the gene encoding this 88-kDa protein revealed that it contained multiple armadillo-like repeats most closely related to the mammalian GTP exchange factor smgGDS. We named this protein darlin (Dictyostelium armadillo-like protein). Disruption of the gene encoding darlin demonstrated that this protein is not essential for cytokinesis, pinocytosis, phagocytosis, or development. However, the ability of darlin null cells to aggregate in response to starvation is severely affected. When starved under liquid medium, the mutant cells were unable to form aggregation centers and streams, possibly because of a defect in cAMP relay signaling. This defect was not due to an inability of the darlin mutants to activate adenylate cyclase in response to G protein stimulation. These results suggest that the darlin protein is involved in a signaling pathway that may modulate the chemotactic response during early development.

G protein signaling events are activated at the leading edge of chemotactic cells

Directional sensing by eukaryotic cells does not require polarization of chemoattractant receptors. The translocation of the PH domain-containing protein CRAC in D. discoideum to binding sites on the inner face of the plasma membrane reflects activation of the G protein-linked signaling system. Increments in chemoattractant elicit a uniform response around the cell periphery. Yet when cells are exposed to a gradient, the activation occurs selectively at the stimulated edge, even in immobilized cells. We propose that such localized activation, transmitted by the recruitment of cytosolic proteins, may be a general mechanism for gradient sensing by G protein-linked chemotactic systems including those involving chemotactic cytokines in leukocytes.

A novel cytosolic regulator, Pianissimo, is required for chemoattractant receptor and G protein-mediated activation of the 12 transmembrane domain adenylyl cyclase in Dictyostelium

Genetic analysis was applied to identify novel genes involved in G protein-linked pathways controlling development. Using restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI), we have identified a new gene, Pianissimo (PiaA), involved in cAMP signaling in Dictyostelium discoideum. PiaA encodes a 130-kD cytosolic protein required for chemoattractant receptor and G protein-mediated activation of the 12 transmembrane domain adenylyl cyclase. In piaA- null mutants, neither chemoattractant stimulation of intact cells nor GTPgammaS treatment of lysates activates the enzyme; constitutive expression of PiaA reverses these defects. Cytosols of wild-type cells that contain Pia protein reconstitute the GTPgammaS stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity in piaA- lysates, indicating that Pia is directly involved in the activation. Pia and CRAC, a previously identified cytosolic regulator, are both essential for activation of the enzyme as lysates of crac- piaA- double mutants require both proteins for reconstitution. Homologs of PiaA are found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccaromyces pombe; disruption of the S. cerevisiae homolog results in lethality. We propose that homologs of Pia and similar modes of regulation of these ubiquitous G protein-linked pathways are likely to exist in higher eukaryotes.

Dictyostelium RasG is required for normal motility and cytokinesis, but not growth

RasG is the most abundant Ras protein in growing Dictyostelium cells and the closest relative of mammalian Ras proteins. We have generated null mutants in which expression of RasG is completely abolished. Unexpectedly, RasG- cells are able to grow at nearly wild-type rates. However, they exhibit defective cell movement and a wide range of defects in the control of the actin cytoskeleton, including a loss of cell polarity, absence of normal lamellipodia, formation of unusual small, punctate polymerized actin structures, and a large number of abnormally long filopodia. Despite their lack of polarity and abnormal cytoskeleton, mutant cells perform normal chemotaxis. However, rasG- cells are unable to perform normal cytokinesis, becoming multinucleate when grown in suspension culture. Taken together, these data suggest a principal role for RasG in coordination of cell movement and control of the cytoskeleton.

Regulation of actin polymerization in cell-free systems by GTPgammaS and Cdc42

We have established a cell-free system to investigate pathways that regulate actin polymerization. Addition of GTPgammaS to lysates of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) or Dictyostelium discoideum amoeba induced formation of filamentous actin. The GTPgammaS appeared to act via a small G-protein, since it was active in lysates ofD. discoideum mutants missing either the alpha2- or beta-subunit of the heterotrimeric G-protein required for chemoattractant-induced actin polymerization in living cells. Furthermore, recombinant Cdc42, but not Rho or Rac, induced polymerization in the cell-free system. The Cdc42-induced increase in filamentous actin required GTPgammaS binding and was inhibited by a fragment of the enzyme PAK1 that binds Cdc42. In a high speed supernatant, GTPgammaS alone was ineffective, but GTPgammaS-loaded Cdc42 induced actin polymerization, suggesting that the response was limited by guanine nucleotide exchange. Stimulating exchange by chelating magnesium, by adding acidic phospholipids, or by adding the exchange factors Cdc24 or Dbl restored the ability of GTPgammaS to induce polymerization. The stimulation of actin polymerization did not correlate with PIP2 synthesis.

The Dictyostelium MAP kinase kinase DdMEK1 regulates chemotaxis and is essential for chemoattractant-mediated activation of guanylyl cyclase

We have identified a MAP kinase kinase (DdMEK1) that is required for proper aggregation in Dictyostelium. Null mutations produce extremely small aggregate sizes, resulting in the formation of slugs and terminal fruiting bodies that are significantly smaller than those of wild-type cells. Time-lapse video microscopy and in vitro assays indicate that the cells are able to produce cAMP waves that move through the aggregation domains. However, these cells are unable to undergo chemotaxis properly during aggregation in response to the chemoattractant cAMP or activate guanylyl cyclase, a known regulator of chemotaxis in Dictyostelium. The activation of guanylyl cyclase in response to osmotic stress is, however, normal. Expression of putative constitutively active forms of DdMEK1 in a ddmek1 null background is capable, at least partially, of complementing the small aggregate size defect and the ability to activate guanylyl cyclase. However, this does not result in constitutive activation of guanylyl cyclase, suggesting that DdMEK1 activity is necessary, but not sufficient, for cAMP activation of guanylyl cyclase. Analysis of a temperature-sensitive DdMEK1 mutant suggests that DdMEK1 activity is required throughout aggregation at the time of guanylyl cyclase activation, but is not essential for proper morphogenesis during the later multicellular stages. The activation of the MAP kinase ERK2, which is essential for chemoattractant activation of adenylyl cyclase, is not affected in ddmek1 null strains, indicating that DdMEK1 does not regulate ERK2 and suggesting that at least two independent MAP kinase cascades control aggregation in Dictyostelium.

Identification of detergent-resistant plasma membrane microdomains in dictyostelium: enrichment of signal transduction proteins

Unlike most other cellular proteins, the chemoattractant receptor, cAR1, of Dictyostelium is resistant to extraction by the zwitterionic detergent, CHAPS. We exploited this property to isolate a subcellular fraction highly enriched in cAR1 by flotation of CHAPS lysates of cells in sucrose density gradients. Immunogold electron microscopy studies revealed a homogeneous preparation of membrane bilayer sheets. This preparation, designated CHAPS-insoluble floating fraction (CHIEF), also contained a defined set of 20 other proteins and a single uncharged lipid. Cell surface biotinylation and preembedding immunoelectron microscopy both confirmed the plasma membrane origin of this preparation. The cell surface phosphodiesterase (PDE) and a downstream effector of cAR1, adenylate cyclase (ACA), were specifically localized in these structures, whereas the cell adhesion molecule gp80, most of the major cell surface membrane proteins, cytoskeletal components, the actin-binding integral membrane protein ponticulin, and G-protein alpha- and beta-subunits were absent. Overall, CHIFF represents about 3-5% of cell externally exposed membrane proteins. All of these results indicate that CHIFF is derived from specialized microdomains of the plasma membrane. The method of isolation is analogous to that of caveolae. However, we were unable to detect distinct caveolae-like structures on the cell surface associated with cAR1, which showed a diffuse staining profile. The discovery of CHIFF facilitates the purification of cAR1 and related signaling proteins and the biochemical characterization of receptor-mediated processes such as G-protein activation and desensitization. It also has important implications for the "fluid mosaic" model of the plasma membrane structures.

Inactivation of two Dictyostelium discoideum genes, DdPIK1 and DdPIK2, encoding proteins related to mammalian phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases, results in defects in endocytosis, lysosome to postlysosome transport, and actin cytoskeleton organization

Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3-kinases) have been implicated in controlling cell proliferation, actin cytoskeleton organization, and the regulation of vesicle trafficking between intracellular organelles. There are at least three genes in Dictyostelium discoideum. DdPIK1, DdPIK2, and DdPIK3, encoding proteins most closely related to the mammalian 110-kD PI-3 kinase in amino acid sequence within the kinase domain. A mutant disrupted in DdPIK1 and DdPIK2 (delta ddpik1/ddpik2) grows slowly in liquid medium. Using FITC-dextran (FD) as a fluid phase marker, we determined that the mutant strain was impaired in pinocytosis but normal in phagocytosis of beads or bacteria. Microscopic and biochemical approaches indicated that the transport rate of fluid-phase from acidic lysosomes to non-acidic postlysosomal vacuoles was reduced in mutant cells resulting in a reduction in efflux of fluid phase. Mutant cells were also almost completely devoid of large postlysosomal vacuoles as determined by transmission EM. However, delta ddpik1/ddpik2 cells functioned normally in the regulation of other membrane traffic. For instance, radiolabel pulse-chase experiments indicated that the transport rates along the secretory pathway and the sorting efficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-mannosidase were normal in the mutant strain. Furthermore, the contractile vacuole network of membranes (probably connected to the endosomal pathway by membrane traffic) was functionally and morphologically normal in mutant cells. Light microscopy revealed that delta ddpik1/ddpik2 cells appeared smaller and more irregularly shaped than wild-type cells; 1-3% of the mutant cells were also connected by a thin cytoplasmic bridge. Scanning EM indicated that the mutant cells contained numerous filopodia projecting laterally and vertically from the cell surface, and fluorescent microscopy indicated that these filopodia were enriched in F-actin which accumulated in a cortical pattern in control cells. Finally, delta ddpik1/ddpik2 cells responded and moved more rapidly towards cAMP. Together, these results suggest that Dictyostelium DdPIK1 and DdPIK2 gene products regulate multiple steps in the endosomal pathway, and function in the regulation of cell shape and movement perhaps through changes in actin organization.

Role of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in controlling aggregation and postaggregative development in Dictyostelium

We have examined the role of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in controlling aggregation and postaggregative development in Dictyostelium. We previously showed that cells in which the gene encoding the PKA catalytic subunit has been disrupted (pkacat- cells) are unable to aggregate [S. K. O. Mann and R. A. Firtel (1991). A developmentally regulated, putative serine/threonine protein kinase is essential for development in Dictyostelium. Mech. Dev. 35, 89-102]. We show that pkacat- cells are unable to activate adenylyl cyclase in response to cAMP stimulation due to the inability to express the aggregation-stage, G-protein-stimulated adenylyl cyclase (ACA). Constitutive expression of ACA from an actin promoter results in a high level of Mn(2+)-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity and restores chemoattractant- and GTP gamma S-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity but not the ability to aggregate. Similarly, expression of the constitutively active, non-G protein-coupled adenylyl cyclase ACG in pkacat- cells also does not restore the ability to aggregate, although ACG can complement cells in which the ACA gene has been disrupted. These results indicate that pkacat- cells lack multiple, essential aggregation-stage functions. As the mound forms, high, continuous levels of extracellular cAMP functioning through the cAMP serpentine receptors activate a transcriptional cascade that leads to cell-type differentiation and morphogenesis. The first step is the induction and activation of the transcription factor GBF and downstream postaggregative genes, followed by the induction of prestalk- and prespore-specific genes. We show that pkacat- cells induce postaggregative gene expression in response to exogenous cAMP, but the level of induction of some of these genes, including GBF, is reduced. SP60 (a prespore-specific gene) is not induced and ecmA (a prestalk-specific gene) is induced to very low levels. Expressing GBF constitutively in pkacat- cells restores ecmA expression to a moderate level, but SP60 is not detectably induced. Overexpression of PKAcat from the Actin 15 (Act15), ecmA prestalk, and the PKAcat promoters in pkacat- cells result in significant aberrant spatial patterning of prestalk and prespore cells, as determined by lacZ reporter studies. Our studies identify new, essential regulatory roles for PKA in mediating multicellular development.

Random mutagenesis of the cAMP chemoattractant receptor, cAR1, of Dictyostelium. Evidence for multiple states of activation

cAMP receptor 1 (cAR1) of Dictyostelium couples to the G protein G2 to mediate activation of adenylyl and guanylyl cyclases, chemotaxis, and cell aggregation. Other cAR1-dependent events, including receptor phosphorylation and influx of extracellular Ca2+, do not require G proteins. To further characterize signal transduction through cAR1, we performed random mutagenesis of the third intracellular loop (24 amino acids), since the corresponding region of other seven helix receptors has been implicated in the coupling to G proteins. Mutant receptors were expressed in car1(-) cells and were characterized for G protein-dependent and -independent signal transduction. Our results demonstrate that cAR1 is remarkably tolerant to amino acid substitutions in the third intracellular loop. Of the 21 positions where amino acid substitutions were observed, one or more replacements were found that retained full biological function. However, certain alterations resulted in receptors with reduced ability to bind cAMP and/or transduce signals. There were specific signal transduction mutants that could undergo cAMP-dependent cAR1 phosphorylation but were impaired either in coupling to G proteins, in G protein-independent Ca2+ influx, or in both pathways. In addition, there were general activation mutants that failed to restore aggregation to car1(-) cells and displayed severe defects in all signal transduction events, including the most robust response, cAMP-dependent cAR1 phosphorylation. Certain of these mutant phenotypes were obtained in a complementary study, where the entire region of cAR1 from the third to the seventh transmembrane helices was randomly mutagenized. Considered together, these studies indicate that the activation cycle of cAR1 may involve a number of distinct receptor intermediates. A model of G protein-dependent and -independent signal transduction through cAR1 is discussed.