ATP dependent chromatin re-modeling factors have previously been shown to play a pivotal role in the regulation of gene expression in several model organisms, including yeast, fruit fly and human. When encountered with a nutrient depleted environment Dictyostelium discoideum enter a process of multicellular development which requires the correct temporal and spatial expression of a large subset of genes. Here it is shown that two of these ATP dependent chromatin re-modelling factors, 1NO80 and CHDC, are required for the correct expression of developmental genes of Dictyostelium discoideum and subsequent multicellular morphogenesis. These factors are identified as having a key role in the earlier stage of aggregation and cellular chemotaxis towards the developmental chemoattractant cAMP. Genetic disruption of genes encoding major subunits of these complexes, arp8 and chdC, both result in a decreased ability to form correct fruiting bodies, also showing a marked decrease in chemotactic ability. In each case, these defects are seen to occur through different mechanisms, indicating the role of multiple pathways in the regulation of Dictyostelium chemotaxis. Interestingly, both mutant cell lines are also responsive to the neuropsychiatric treatment drug lithium and are shown to affect elements of the inositol signaling pathway.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:584775 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Rogers, Benjamin James |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://orca.cf.ac.uk/54125/ |
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