Injection of poly(beta-L-malate) into the plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum shortens the cell cycle and increases the growth rate

European Journal of Biochemistry
M KarlEggehard Holler

Abstract

Poly(beta-L-malate) (PMLA) has been reported as an unconventional, physiologically important biopolymer in plasmodia of myxomycetes, and has been proposed to function in the storage and transport of nuclear proteins by mimicking the phospho(deoxy)ribose backbone of nucleic acids. It is distributed in the cytoplasm and especially in the nuclei of these giant, multinucleate cells. We report here for the first time an increase in growth rate and a shortening of the cell cycle after the injection of purified PMLA. By comparing two strains of Physarum polycephalum that differed in their production levels of PMLA, it was found that growth activation and cell cycle shortening correlated with the relative increases of PMLA levels in the cytoplasm or the nuclei. Growth rates of a low PMLA producer strain (LU897 x LU898) were increased by 40-50% while those of a high producer strain (M(3)CVIII) were increased by only 0-17% in comparison with controls. In both strains, shortening of the cell cycle occurred to a similar extent (7.2-9.5%), and this was associated with similar increases in nuclear PMLA levels. The effects showed saturation dependences with regard to the amount of injected PMLA. A steep rise of intracellular PMLA shortly afte...Continue Reading

References

Mar 1, 1982·Developmental Biology·G L Shipley, C E Holt
Jun 1, 1980·Analytical Biochemistry·D V Gold, D Shochat
Jan 1, 1993·Advances in Microbial Physiology·T G BurlandW F Dove
Nov 1, 1995·Current Genetics·G AchhammerE Holler
Sep 22, 2001·Biology of Reproduction·J YuR M Schultz
Mar 26, 2003·European Journal of Biochemistry·Miachael KarlEggehard Holler
Feb 26, 1960·Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta·O F NYGAARDH P RUSCH

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Citations

Dec 22, 2009·Archives of Microbiology·Pu LiuYu Li
Oct 11, 2008·Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications·Wolfgang MuellerEggehard Holler
Feb 16, 2006·Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications·Thomas Göttler, Eggehard Holler

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