著者

Hiroyuki Aizawa Masazumi Sameshima Ichiro Yahara

出版者

Japan Society for Cell Biology

雑誌

Cell Structure and Function (ISSN:03867196)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.22, no.3, pp.335-345, 1997 (Released:2006-03-27)

参考文献数

34

被引用文献数

40 59

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We transformed Dictyostelium discoideum cells by a vector for expression of a chimerical fusion protein consisting of Aequorea Victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP) and D. discoideum actin at its aminoand carboxy-terminal, respectively. The amount of expressed GFP-actin was about 3% of total actin molecules in the transformed cells. The expression of GFP-actin in D. discoideum completely inhibited cytokinesis in suspension culture. The expression decreased the rate of random cell locomotion to about a half of that of control cells. The expression also caused the cells to round up. These phenotypic observations suggested that GFP-actin acts as a dominant negative form of actin in the cells. The rounding up by expression of GFP-actin was suppressed by genetical elimination of myosin II heavy chain. This result suggested that myosin II is necessary for the rounding up of GFP-actin expressing cells. GFP-actin constructed cortical actin filament architectures together with intrinsic actin in the cells. Purified GFP-actin polymerized and de-polymerized repetitively according to the solution conditions in vitro. The critical concentration of GFP-actin for polymerization is the same as that of actin. The GFP-actin filaments was able to bind to coverglass surfaces coated with myosin head fragments. However, the GFP-actin filaments did not slide at all on the coverglass by addition of ATP. This indicates that the GFP-actin filaments form rigor complex with myosin II in vitro even in the presence of ATP. The formation of rigor complex may cause the cells to round up.