Open AccessDevelopmental signal transduction pathways uncovered by genetic suppressors
Author(s) -
Gad Shaulsky,
Ricardo Escalante,
William F. Loomis
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.93.26.15260
Subject(s) - biology , gene , dictyostelium discoideum , signal transduction , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , proteases , cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase , phosphodiesterase , biochemistry , enzyme
We have found conditions for saturation mutagenesis by restriction enzyme mediated integration that result in plasmid tagging of disrupted genes. Using this method we selected for mutations in genes that act at checkpoints downstream of the intercellular signaling system that controls encapsulation inDictyostelium discoideum . One of these genes,mkcA , is a member of the mitogen-activating protein kinase cascade family while the other,regA , is a novel bipartite gene homologous to response regulators in one part and to cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in the other part. Disruption of either of these genes results in partial suppression of the block to spore formation resulting from the loss of the prestalk genes,tagB andtagC . The products of thetag genes have conserved domains of serine proteases attached to ATP-driven transporters, suggesting that they process and export peptide signals. Together, these genes outline an intercellular communication system that coordinates organismal shape with cellular differentiation during development.