Recent studies have implicated the phosducin-like protein-2 (PHLP2) in regulation of CCT, a chaperonin whose activity is essential for folding of tubulin and actin. However, the exact molecular function of PHLP2 is unclear. Here we investigate the significance of PHLP2 in a ciliated unicellular model, Tetrahymena thermophila, by deleting its single homolog, Phlp2p. Cells lacking Phlp2p became larger and died within 96 h. Overexpressed Phlp2p-HA localized to cilia, basal bodies, and cytosol without an obvious change in the phenotype. Despite similar localization, overexpressed GFP-Phlp2p caused a dominant-negative effect. Cells overproducing GFP-Phlp2p had decreased rates of proliferation, motility and phagocytosis, as compared to wild type cells or cells overproducing a non-tagged Phlp2p. Growing GFP-Phlp2p-overexpressing cells had fewer cilia and, when deciliated, failed to regenerate cilia, indicating defects in cilia assembly. Paclitaxel-treated GFP-Phlp2p cells failed to elongate cilia, indicating a change in the microtubules dynamics. The pattern of ciliary and cytosolic tubulin isoforms on 2D gels differed between wild type and GFP-Phlp2p-overexpressing cells. Thus, in Tetrahymena, PhLP2 is essential and under specific experimental conditions its activity affects tubulin and microtubule-dependent functions including cilia assembly.

This paper reports on the successful Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of oat, and on some factors influencing this process. In the first step of the experiments, three cultivars, two types of explant, and three combinations of strain/vectors, which were successfully used for transformation of other cereals were tested. Transgenic plants were obtained from the immature embryos of cvs. Bajka, Slawko and Akt and from leaf base explants of cv. Bajka after transformation with A. thumefaciens strain LBA4404(pTOK233). The highest transformation rate (12.3%) was obtained for immature embryos of cv. Bajka. About 79% of the selected plants proved to be transgenic; however, only 14.3% of the T 0 plants and 27.5% of the T 1 showed GUS expression. Cell competence of both types of explant differed in terms of their transformation ability and transgene expression. The next step of the study was to test the suitability for oat transformation of the pGreen binary vector combined with different selection cassettes: nptII or bar under the nos or 35S promoter. Transgenic plants were selected in combinations transformed with nos::nptII, 35S::nptII and nos::bar. The highest transformation efficiency (5.3%) was obtained for cv. Akt transformed with nos::nptII. A detailed analysis of the T 0 plants selected from a given callus line and their progeny revealed that they were the mixture of transgenic, chimeric-transgenic and non-transgenic individuals. Southern blot analysis of T 0 and T 1 showed simple integration pattern with the low copy number of the introduced transgenes.

The coloured ciliate Blepharisma japonicum changes swimming velocity (positive photokinesis) and elongates its body in response to a prolonged illumination. We have recently proposed that alterations in the phosphorylation level of the ciliate phosducin (Pdc) may be involved in light-induced cell elongation, which in turn affects the interaction of βγ-dimer of G-proteins (Gβγ) with β-tubulin and subsequent cytoskeletal remodelling. The cellular mechanism that governs the photokinetic effect in this ciliate has not been elucidated. In the present study, we utilise real-time PCR to demonstrate that the levels of ciliate Pdc mRNA are significantly reduced in Pdc-RNAi-treated cells compared to cells fed with bacteria carrying the empty vector (control cells). Using western immunoblotting, we confirmed that these cells treated with Pdc-RNAi expressed a substantially lower level of the Pdc protein. The assay also revealed that in ciliates treated with Pdc-RNAi and exposed to light, the cytosolic level of Gβ (~36 kDa) was reduced, whereas the level of Gβ localized to the membrane (~32 kDa) was increased compared to control cells. In addition, behavioural analysis of the cells indicated a substantial reduction of photokinesis. The findings in this study provide additional characterization of the functional properties of the ciliate Pdc protein and we discuss a likely role for this phosphoprotein in the photokinetic phenomenon of the ciliate protist Blepharisma.

Blepharisma japonicum ciliates display reversible cell elongation in response to lasting bright illumination. This light-induced phenomenon has been ascribed to the active sliding of the cortical microtubules of the ciliate. The detailed intracellular signaling pathway that activates the microtubule network in response to light, resulting in cell elongation, is unknown. We have previously reported that light stimulation initiates sequential molecular events consisting of a decrease in the phosphorylation of ciliate Pdc, followed by increased binding of Pdc to membrane-localised Gbetagamma and the subsequent translocation of the Pdc-Gbetagamma complex to the cytoplasm. In this study, we used selected agents known to influence protein phosphorylation to test whether alterations in Pdc phosphorylation levels by light affect ciliate shape. Behavioural analysis indicated that cell treatment with okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase activity, heavily abolished the effect of light on cell elongation, whereas the presence of H-89, a specific inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity, had no appreciable effect on the cell length. Phosphorylation assays showed that cell incubation with H-89 mimicked light by promoting Pdc dephosphorylation and its colocalization with Gbetagamma. However, as demonstrated by FRET-AP, Pdc-Gbetagamma complex formation and changes in the length of the cell did not occur under the same conditions. Moreover, fluorescence microscopy showed localization of Gbetagamma and beta-tubulin in the same cell compartment and demonstrated that a direct interaction between these proteins occurs in cells adapted to darkness or exposed to prolonged illumination (> or = 10 min). In contrast, an opposite effect, i.e. a transient decrease in the interaction between Gbetagamma and beta-tubulin and distinct Pdc dephosphorylation, was observed in cells illuminated for short time. Under these conditions, Pdc preferentially occupies the cell submembrane region and interacts with Gbetagamma. In cells illuminated for a longer time (> or = 10 min) and despite the constant light intensity, Pdc was progressively rephosphorylated and then dissociated from Gbetagamma, relocalizing within the cell cytoplasm. The results obtained in this study suggest that alterations in Pdc phosphorylation may be involved in light-induced elongation of the Blepharisma cell body, which affects the interaction of Gbetagamma with beta-tubulin and cell cytoskeleton remodelling.