Modulation of flagellum attachment zone protein FLAM3 and regulation of the cell shape in Trypanosoma brucei life cycle transitions

Sunter, Jack D. and Benz, Corinna and Andre, Jane and Whipple, Sarah and McKean, Paul G. and Gull, Keith and Ginger, Michael L. and Lukeš, Julius (2015) Modulation of flagellum attachment zone protein FLAM3 and regulation of the cell shape in Trypanosoma brucei life cycle transitions. Journal of Cell Science, 128 (16). pp. 3117-3130. ISSN 0021-9533

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Abstract

The cell shape of Trypanosoma brucei is influenced by flagellum-to-cell-body attachment through a specialised structure - the flagellum attachment zone (FAZ). T. brucei exhibits numerous morphological forms during its life cycle and, at each stage, the FAZ length varies. We have analysed FLAM3, a large protein that localises to the FAZ region within the old and new flagellum. Ablation of FLAM3 expression causes a reduction in FAZ length; however, this has remarkably different consequences in the tsetse procyclic form versus the mammalian bloodstream form. In procyclic form cells FLAM3 RNAi results in the transition to an epimastigote-like shape, whereas in bloodstream form cells a severe cytokinesis defect associated with flagellum detachment is observed. Moreover, we demonstrate that the amount of FLAM3 and its localisation is dependent on ClpGM6 expression and vice versa. This evidence demonstrates that FAZ is a key regulator of trypanosome shape, with experimental perturbations being life cycle form dependent. An evolutionary cell biology explanation suggests that these differences are a reflection of the division process, the cytoskeleton and intrinsic structural plasticity of particular life cycle forms.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal of Cell Science
Additional Information:
© 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided that the original work is properly attributed.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1300/1307
Subjects:
?? trypanosomesmorphogenesisflagellum attachment zonecell biology ??
ID Code:
75318
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
07 Mar 2016 16:18
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
04 Jan 2024 00:15