Open AccessThe calcineurin inhibitor gossypol impairs growth, cell signalling and development in Dictyostelium discoideum
Author(s) -
Weissenmayer Barbara,
Boelckeler Katrina,
Lahrz Angela,
Mutzel Rupert
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2004.10.035
Subject(s) - calcineurin , dictyostelium discoideum , gossypol , dictyostelium , phosphatase , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , calmodulin , cell growth , gene , protein subunit , biochemistry , enzyme , phosphorylation , transplantation , medicine
The Dictyostelium genome harbors single copy genes for both the catalytic and regulatory subunits of the Ca 2+ /calmodulin‐dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin. Since molecular genetic approaches to reduce the expression of these genes have failed so far, we attempted to pharmacologically target calcineurin activity in vivo by using the recently described calcineurin inhibitor, gossypol. Up‐regulation of expression of the gene for the Ca 2+ ‐ATPase PAT1 in conditions of Ca 2+ stress was reduced by gossypol. Dictyostelium wild‐type cells treated with 12.5–100 μM gossypol showed reduced growth rates and impaired development. In addition, cell signalling was affected. A cell line that overproduces the catalytic subunit of calcineurin was more resistant to gossypol.