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A matricellular protein and EGF-like repeat signalling in the social amoebozoan Dictyostelium discoideum

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Abstract

Matricellular proteins interact with the extracellular matrix (ECM) and modulate cellular processes by binding to cell surface receptors and initiating intracellular signal transduction. Their association with the ECM and the ability of some members of this protein family to regulate cell motility have opened up new avenues of research to investigate their functions in normal and diseased cells. In this review, we summarize the research on CyrA, an ECM calmodulin-binding protein in Dictyostelium. CyrA is proteolytically cleaved into smaller EGF-like (EGFL) repeat containing cleavage products during development. The first EGFL repeat of CyrA binds to the cell surface and activates a novel signalling pathway that modulates cell motility in this model organism. The similarity of CyrA to the most well-characterized matricellular proteins in mammals allows it to be designated as the first matricellular protein identified in Dictyostelium.

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Abbreviations

AcbA:

Acyl-CoA binding protein A

ADAMTS:

A disintegrin and mettaloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs

carA:

cAMP receptor A

carC:

cAMP receptor C

CaM:

Calmodulin

CaMBP:

CaM-binding protein

CyrA:

Cysteine-rich protein A

CyrA-C40:

40 kDa CyrA cleavage product

CyrA-C45:

45 kDa CyrA cleavage product

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

EGFL:

Epidermal growth factor-like

EGFL1:

CyrA EGFL repeat 1

EGFR:

EGF receptor

ER:

Endoplasmic reticulum

MHC:

Myosin II heavy chain

MMP2:

Matrix metalloproteinase 2

PaxB:

Paxillin B

PI3K:

Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase

PKA:

Protein kinase A

PLA2:

Phospholipase A2

PLC:

Phospholipase C

SDF-2:

Spore differentiation factor 2

SPARC:

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine

TalB:

Talin B

Ten14:

14th EGFL repeat of tenascin C

Tenascin C:

Tenascin cytotactin

TSP:

Thrombospondin

VinB:

Vinculin B

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Acknowledgments

This review was supported by a Discovery Grant (D.H.O’D.; A6807) and a Canada Graduate Scholarship (R.J.H.) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada

    Robert J. Huber & Danton H. O’Day

  2. Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road North, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada

    Danton H. O’Day

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Correspondence to Robert J. Huber.

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Huber, R.J., O’Day, D.H. A matricellular protein and EGF-like repeat signalling in the social amoebozoan Dictyostelium discoideum . Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 69, 3989–3997 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-012-1068-4

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