Dictyostelium discoideum myosin: isolation and characterization of cDNAs encoding the essential light chain.

R. L. Chisholm*, A. M. Rushforth, R. S. Pollenz, E. R. Kuczmarski, S. R. Tafuri

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

We used an antibody specific for Dictyostelium discoideum myosin to screen a lambda gt11 cDNA expression library to obtain cDNA clones which encode the Dictyostelium essential myosin light chain (EMLC). The amino acid sequence predicted from the sequence of the cDNA clone showed 31.5% identity with the amino acid sequence of the chicken EMLC. Comparisons of the Dictyostelium EMLC, a nonmuscle cell type, with EMLC sequences from similar MLCs of skeletal- and smooth-muscle origin, showed distinct regions of homology. Much of the observed homology was localized to regions corresponding to consensus Ca2+-binding of E-F hand domains. Southern blot analysis suggested that the Dictyostelium genome contains a single gene encoding the EMLC. Examination of the pattern of EMLC mRNA expression showed that a significant increase in EMLC message levels occurred during the first few hours of development, coinciding with increased actin expression and immediately preceding the period of maximal chemotactic activity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)794-801
Number of pages8
JournalMolecular and cellular biology
Volume8
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1988

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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