Identification of a target for CudA, the transcription factor which directs formation of the Dictyostelium tip organiser

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identification of a target for CudA, the transcription factor which directs formation of the Dictyostelium tip organiser

AU - Wang, Hong-Yu

AU - Williams, Jeffrey G.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - The tip of the Dictyostelium slug functions much like an embryonic organiser; when grafted onto the flank of a recipient slug, it recruits amass of prespore cells and leads them away as part of a secondary slug. CudA is a nuclear protein which is expressed in prespore cells where it acts as a specific transcription factor. CudA is also expressed in an anteriorly located group of cells, the tip-organiser, that is believed to constitute the functional tip. We identify an expansin-like gene, exp17, that is expressed within the tip-organiser region and which is not expressed in a cudA null strain. The exp17 promoter contains a region that binds to CudA in vitro and this region is necessary for expression in the tip-organiser. These results provide an end-point for a previously defined signal transduction pathway in which regionalised expression of the ACA adenylyl cyclase within the tip-organiser leads to localised cAMP-induced activation of STATa and consequent binding of STATa to the cudA promoter. STATa then induces expression of cudA and cudA directs the transcription of target genes such as exp17.

AB - The tip of the Dictyostelium slug functions much like an embryonic organiser; when grafted onto the flank of a recipient slug, it recruits amass of prespore cells and leads them away as part of a secondary slug. CudA is a nuclear protein which is expressed in prespore cells where it acts as a specific transcription factor. CudA is also expressed in an anteriorly located group of cells, the tip-organiser, that is believed to constitute the functional tip. We identify an expansin-like gene, exp17, that is expressed within the tip-organiser region and which is not expressed in a cudA null strain. The exp17 promoter contains a region that binds to CudA in vitro and this region is necessary for expression in the tip-organiser. These results provide an end-point for a previously defined signal transduction pathway in which regionalised expression of the ACA adenylyl cyclase within the tip-organiser leads to localised cAMP-induced activation of STATa and consequent binding of STATa to the cudA promoter. STATa then induces expression of cudA and cudA directs the transcription of target genes such as exp17.

KW - Dictyostelium

KW - CudA

KW - Tip

KW - Expansin

KW - Gene expression

KW - In situ hybridization

KW - Gene expression

KW - Discoideum

KW - Patterns

KW - Switch

KW - Slugs

U2 - 10.1387/ijdb.082723hw

DO - 10.1387/ijdb.082723hw

M3 - Article

C2 - 19757394

SN - 0214-6282

VL - 54

SP - 161

EP - 165

JO - International Journal of Developmental Biology

JF - International Journal of Developmental Biology

IS - 1

ER -