Loss of the beta-catenin homologue aardvark causes ectopic stalk formation in Dictyostelium |
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Authors: | Coates Juliet C Grimson Mark J Williams Robin S B Bergman Wayland Blanton Richard L Harwood Adrian J |
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Institution: | MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, UK. jcc44@cam.ac.uk |
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Abstract: | Aardvark (Aar) is a Dictyostelium beta-catenin homologue with both cytoskeletal and signal transduction roles during development. Here, we show that loss of aar causes a novel phenotype where multiple stalks appear during late development. Ectopic stalks are preceded by misexpression of the stalk marker ST-lacZ in the surrounding tissue. This process does not involve the kinase GSK-3. Mixing experiments show that ectopic ST-lacZ expression and stalk formation are cell non-autonomous. The protein-cellulose matrix surrounding the stalk of aar mutant fruiting bodies is defective, and damage to the stalk of wild-type fruiting bodies leads to ectopic ST-lacZ expression. We postulate that poor synthesis of the stalk tube matrix allows diffusion of a stalk cell-inducing factor into the surrounding tissue. |
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