The eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum is an attractive model organism for the study of cytoskeletal proteins and cell motility. The appearance and behavior of this cell closely resembles that of mammalian cells, but unlike mammalian cells, Dictyostelium offers the opportunity specifically to alter the cell physiology by molecular genetic approaches.

CEP161 is a novel component of the Dictyostelium discoideum centrosome which was identified as binding partner of the pericentriolar component CP250. Here we show that the amino acids 1-763 of the 1381 amino acids CEP161 are sufficient for CP250 binding, centrosomal targeting and centrosome association. Analysis of AX2 cells over-expressing truncated and full length CEP161 proteins revealed def...

Autophagy is a major catabolic process in eukaryotes that help degrade and recycle macromolecules and organelles. Recent evidences suggest autophagy to mediate cytoprotection and also help increase longevity. It acts as a central regulatory mechanism for aging/longevity in diverse eukaryotic species. In the present study we have exploited the lower eukaryotic model organism, Dictyostelium disco...

The E. coli lacZ gene encoding /3-galactosidase has proven to be a useful reporter gene in Dictyostelium (1, 2). We describe a set of three vectors for the rapid construction of promoter ::lacZ fusions. These vectors improve on the previously described vector pDdlac-1 by: (1) the removal of the additional lacZ fragment responsible for instabiity of the polylinker when grown in E. coli; (ii) the...

Lipid droplet formation and subsequent steatosis (the abnormal retention of lipids within a cell) has been reported to contribute to hepatotoxicity and is an adverse effect of many pharmacological agents including the antiepileptic drug valproic acid (VPA). In this study, we have developed a simple model system (Dictyostelium discoideum) to investigate the effects of VPA and related compounds i...

As time passes, mutations accumulate in the genomes of all living organisms. These changes promote genetic diversity, but also precipitate ageing and the initiation of cancer. Food is a common source of mutagens, but little is known about how nutritional factors cause lasting genetic changes in the consuming organism. Here, we describe an unusual genetic interaction between DNA repair in the un...

Ndufaf5 (also known as C20orf7) is a mitochondrial complex I (CI) assembly factor whose mutations lead to human mitochondrial disease. Little is known about the function of the protein and the cytopathological consequences of the mutations. Disruption of Dictyostelium Ndufaf5 leads to CI deficiency and defects in growth and development. The predicted sequence of Ndufaf5 contains a putative meth...

The development of the non-metazoan eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum displays many of the features of animal embryogenesis, including regulated cell-cell adhesion. During early development, two proteins, DdCAD-1 and csA, mediate cell-cell adhesion between amoebae as they form a loosely packed multicellular mass. The mechanism governing this process is similar to epithelial sheet sealing in an...

As time passes, mutations accumulate in the genomes of all living organisms. These changes promote genetic diversity, but also precipitate ageing and the initiation of cancer. Food is a common source of mutagens, but little is known about how nutritional factors cause lasting genetic changes in the consuming organism. Here, we describe an unusual genetic interaction between DNA repair in the un...

The temperature dependence of migration rate and of the thermotactic sensitivity of pseudoplasmodia of Dictyostelium discoideum has been measured. Migration rate increases with temperature to 20 degrees, is temperature insensitive from 20 degrees to 27.5 degrees, and decreases with temperature to 29 degrees, above which point migration ceases. However, pseudoplasmodia formed from cells grown at...