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dictyNews Volume 40 Number 25
dictyNews
Electronic Edition
Volume 40, number 25
October 3, 2014
Please submit abstracts of your papers as soon as they have been
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Abstracts
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Induction of macrocyst wall formation by ZYG1 in Dictyostelium
discoideum
Aiko Amagai1*, Fumio Takahashi1,2,3, Toshinori Usui4, 5,
Tomoaki Abe4 and Yasuo Maeda1
1Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University,
Sendai 980-8577, Japan
2PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi,
Saitama 332-0012, Japan,
3Present address: Department of Biotechnology, College of Life
Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Nojihigashi, Kusatsu,
Shiga 525-8577, Japan
4Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and
Engineering, Ishinomaki Senshu University, Ishinomaki,
Miyagi 986-0031, Japan
5Present address: Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization,
2-1 Seiryo-Machi Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Miyagi, Japan
Research J of Devel. Biol., accepted
Background: Macrocyst is known as the sexual developmental
form in cellular slime molds. ZYG1 is known to be involved
in zygote formation by cell fusion during macrocyst formation
in Dictyostelium mucoroides, one of the species of cellular
slime molds.
Aim and methods: To know the effects of ZYG1 on the asexual
and sexual development in Dictyostelium discoideum, an another
species of cellular slime molds, we observed the developmental
process and forms of a transformant (GFP-ZYG1OE) derived from
Dictyostelium discoideum, in which GFP-ZYG1 fusion protein is
overproduced.
Results: GFP-ZYG1OE cells were developed without or with an
opposite mating type, V12M2 cells. When GFP-ZYG1OE cells
were developed without V12M2 cells, they formed macrocyst-like
structures consisting of a central cell mass and a thick
transparent macrocyst wall surrounding it. It was suggested
that transparent zones in the macrocyst wall were formed by
cell fusion. When GFP-ZYG1OE cells were developed with
V12M2 cells, globular bodies which are likely the macrocysts
surrounded by thin cellulosic walls were found besides
macrocysts. They were formed directly from zygotic giant cells
without the formation of cell aggregates. The formation of the
globular body is not caused by ZYG1 overproduction, because
GFPCONT cells, a transformant overproducing GFP protein as
controls, also formed globular bodies.
Conclusion: By the use of GFP-ZYG1OE cells overproducing
GFP-ZYG1 fusion protein, it is revealed that ZYG1 is closely
involved in macrocyst wall formation. This is the new finding
concerning the function of ZYG1. In addition, the formation
of a globular body, which is likely the macrocyst surrounded
by a thin cellulosic wall, is demonstrated as a novel process
of sexual development.
Submitted by Aiko Amagai [aimagai@amber.plala.or.jp]
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[End dictyNews, volume 40, number 25]
