The kinase regulator mob1 acts as a patterning protein for stentor morphogenesis.
The kinase regulator mob1 acts as a patterning protein for stentor morphogenesis.
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pbio.1001861
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发表时间：
2014-05
期刊：
影响因子：
9.8
通讯作者：
Marshall WF
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Slabodnick MM;Ruby JG;Dunn JG;Feldman JL;DeRisi JL;Marshall WF
Here we demonstrate that RNAi can be used in molecular studies of the giant single-celled ciliate Stentor coeruleus, revealing morphogenetic functions of Mob1 and highlighting the potential of this classical model for studies of morphogenesis and regeneration. Morphogenesis and pattern formation are vital processes in any organism, whether unicellular or multicellular. But in contrast to the developmental biology of plants and animals, the principles of morphogenesis and pattern formation in single cells remain largely unknown. Although all cells develop patterns, they are most obvious in ciliates; hence, we have turned to a classical unicellular model system, the giant ciliate Stentor coeruleus. Here we show that the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery is conserved in Stentor. Using RNAi, we identify the kinase coactivator Mob1—with conserved functions in cell division and morphogenesis from plants to humans—as an asymmetrically localized patterning protein required for global patterning during development and regeneration in Stentor. Our studies reopen the door for Stentor as a model regeneration system. Cells have the ability to develop complex morphologies, but the mechanisms that determine these varied shapes are not well understood. Cell shape determination can be challenging to study in multicellular organisms because it can be difficult to know whether shape changes are determined internally within an individual cell or externally, driven by input from neighboring cells or by both. The giant unicellular ciliate, Stentor coeruleus, provides an ideal single-cell model in which to study morphogenesis due to its large size and reproducible, complex patterning. Although Stentor was a popular experimental organism around 100 years ago, molecular tools were not subsequently developed to sustain its use as a model system today. Here we demonstrate that RNA interference (RNAi) “by feeding” is effective in Stentor and demonstrate its utility for studying morphogenesis and cell polarity patterning in this organism. We show that the conserved Mob1 kinase regulator protein is asymmetrically localized to the posterior end of Stentor and is positioned at the newly forming posterior pole during cell division, suggesting that it may have a role in morphogenesis. Using RNAi, we show that depletion of Mob1 results in Stentor cells with marked defects in morphogenesis. Our findings suggest that Stentor coeruleus can be a powerful model system studying morphogenesis and regeneration at the single-cell level and that Mob1 is a patterning protein required for its normal development and regeneration.
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