ISSN:
0886-1544
Keywords:
actin
;
actin-binding protein
;
plasma membranes
;
cytoskeleton
;
immunofluorescence microscopy
;
cell motility
;
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Ponticulin is the major actin-binding integral glycoprotein in plasma membranes isolated from log-phase Dictyostelium discoideum amebae. As such, this protein appears to be an important link between the plasma membrane and actin filaments (Wuestehube and Luna: Journal of Cell Biology 105:1741-1751, 1987). In this study, indirect immunofluorescence microcopy was used to examine the distribution of ponticulin in randomly moving D. discoideum amebae and in amebae engaged in cell migration and phagocytosis. Ponticulin is distributed throughout the plasma membrane and also is present in intracellular vesicles associated with the microtubule-organizing center-Golgi complex adjacent to the nucleus. In aggreating amebae, ponticulin is concentrated in regions of lateral cell-cell contact and in arched regions of the plasma membrane. Ponticulin also is present, but not obviously enriched, in filopodia, in the actin-rich anterior end of polarized cells, and in detergent-insoluble cytoskeletons. In amebae engaged in phagocytosis of yeast, ponticulin is present but not enriched in phagocytic cups and is associated with intracellular vesicles around engulfed yeast. These results suggest that ponticulin is stably associated with actin filaments in certain regions of the plasma membrace and that the actin-binding activity of ponticulin may be tightly controlled.Indirect immupofluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analysis demonstrate that human polymorphonuclear leukocytes also contain a 17 kD protein that specifically cross-reacts with antibodies affinity-purified aganst D. discoideum ponticulin. As in D. discoideum, the mammalian 17 kD ponticulin-analog appears to be localized in plasma membrane and is evident in actin-rich cell extensions. These results indicate that ponticulin-mediated linkages between the plasma membrane and actin may be present in higher eukaryotic cells.
Additional Material:
10 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cm.970130404
