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C. elegans PAR Proteins Function by Mobilizing and Stabilizing Asymmetrically Localized Protein Complexes
- Source :
- Current Biology. 14(10):851-862
- Publication Year :
- 2004
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2004.
-
Abstract
- Background: The PAR proteins are part of an ancient and widely conserved machinery for polarizing cells during animal development. Here we use a combination of genetics and live imaging methods in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to dissect the cellular mechanisms by which PAR proteins polarize cells. Results: We demonstrate two distinct mechanisms by which PAR proteins polarize the C. elegans zygote. First, we show that several components of the PAR pathway function in intracellular motility, producing a polarized movement of the cell cortex. We present evidence that this cortical motility may drive the movement of cellular components that must become asymmetrically distributed, including both germline-specific ribonucleoprotein complexes and cortical domains containing the PAR proteins themselves. Second, PAR-1 functions to refine the asymmetric localization of germline ribonucleoprotein complexes by selectively stabilizing only those complexes that reach the PAR-1-enriched posterior cell cortex during the period of cortical motility. Conclusions: These results identify two cellular mechanisms by which the PAR proteins polarize the C. elegans zygote, and they suggest mechanisms by which PAR proteins may polarize cells in diverse animal systems.
- Subjects :
- Cytoplasm
Embryo, Nonmammalian
Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species
Motility
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Fluorescence
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Live cell imaging
Cell cortex
Animals
Model organism
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
030304 developmental biology
Ribonucleoprotein
Body Patterning
0303 health sciences
Zygote
biology
Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
ved/biology
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
Kymography
Cell Polarity
Proteins
biology.organism_classification
Posterior cell cortex
Cell biology
14-3-3 Proteins
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Cell Division
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 09609822
- Volume :
- 14
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Current Biology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....9eead37f8a9e083944cbe8d8f9ef353a
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2004.05.022