A retinoblastoma orthologue is required for the sensing of a chalone in Dictyostelium discoideum

Eukaryot Cell. 2014 Mar;13(3):376-82. doi: 10.1128/EC.00306-13. Epub 2014 Jan 3.

Abstract

Retinoblastoma-like proteins regulate cell differentiation and inhibit cell proliferation. The Dictyostelium discoideum retinoblastoma orthologue RblA affects the differentiation of cells during multicellular development, but it is unclear whether RblA has a significant effect on Dictyostelium cell proliferation, which is inhibited by the secreted proteins AprA and CfaD. We found that rblA⁻ cells in shaking culture proliferate to a higher density, die faster after reaching stationary density, and, after starvation, have a lower spore viability than wild-type cells, possibly because in shaking culture, rblA⁻ cells have both increased cytokinesis and lower extracellular accumulation of CfaD. However, rblA⁻ cells have abnormally slow proliferation on bacterial lawns. Recombinant AprA inhibits the proliferation of wild-type cells but not that of rblA⁻ cells, whereas CfaD inhibits the proliferation of both wild-type cells and rblA⁻ cells. Similar to aprA⁻ cells, rblA⁻ cells have a normal mass and protein accumulation rate on a per-nucleus basis, indicating that RblA affects cell proliferation but not cell growth. AprA also functions as a chemorepellent, and RblA is required for proper AprA chemorepellent activity despite the fact that RblA does not affect cell speed. Together, our data indicate that an autocrine proliferation-inhibiting factor acts through RblA to regulate cell density in Dictyostelium, suggesting that such factors may signal through retinoblastoma-like proteins to control the sizes of structures such as developing organs or tumors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Cell Cycle
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Chalones / pharmacology*
  • Dictyostelium / drug effects
  • Dictyostelium / genetics
  • Dictyostelium / metabolism*
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism*
  • Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107 / genetics
  • Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Chalones
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107