The actin multigene family in soybean contains at least six members. These plant actins accumulate amino acid substitutions at a rate similar to the animal actins and yet there is far greater diversity between kappa, lambda, and mu soybean actins than between mammalian cytoplasmic and muscle actins. The steady state mRNA levels produced from these diverse soybean actin genes varies over a large range and shows some organ specificity. A variety of cytoplasmic functions and levels of expression are known for both animal and plant actin proteins both within cells and in different tissues. Therefore, it is proposed that the diverse plant actin genes are under tissue-specific regulation producing actins for a variety of functions. In this proposal, extensive data on plant actin gene sequence, predicted protein sequence, and structure of the transcription unit is used to address this hypothesis. A variety of antibodies, including those to synthetic peptides from the kappa, lambda, and mu soybean actins, will be used to localize the three classes of actin to different tissue types and stages of development by immunocytochemical methods. Differential gene expression will be confirmed by the construction of chimeric actin genes and examining their function in transgenic petunia plants. This includes chimeras between soybean, petunia, and maize actin genes and non-actin gene fusions. Gene, promoter, and transcript structure studies will continue on all of the soybean and petunia actins. This study should identify unique tissue-specific DNA regulatory elements and provide new insights into actin function in plants. The functions of cytoplasmic actin and other cytoskeletal proteins in animals are complex and only recently coming to light. Considering the ubiquitous nature of actin in all eukaryotes, it is likely that research on the diverse function and expression of plant actins will have a striking impact on the study of cytoskeletal structure in general.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM036397-02
Application #
3290289
Study Section
Molecular Cytology Study Section (CTY)
Project Start
1986-04-01
Project End
1991-03-31
Budget Start
1987-04-01
Budget End
1988-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Georgia
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Athens
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30602
Müssar, Kristofer J; Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C et al. (2015) Arabidopsis plants deficient in constitutive class profilins reveal independent and quantitative genetic effects. BMC Plant Biol 15:177
Roy-Zokan, Eileen M; Dyer, Kelly A; Meagher, Richard B (2015) Phylogenetic Patterns of Codon Evolution in the ACTIN-DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR/COFILIN (ADF/CFL) Gene Family. PLoS One 10:e0145917
Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Roy, Eileen et al. (2015) Ascomycete fungal actins differentially support plant spatial cell and organ development. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 72:80-92
Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Roy, Eileen et al. (2012) Plant vegetative and animal cytoplasmic actins share functional competence for spatial development with protists. Plant Cell 24:2041-57
Henty, Jessica L; Bledsoe, Samuel W; Khurana, Parul et al. (2011) Arabidopsis actin depolymerizing factor4 modulates the stochastic dynamic behavior of actin filaments in the cortical array of epidermal cells. Plant Cell 23:3711-26
Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Meagher, Richard B (2010) Differential sublocalization of actin variants within the nucleus. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 67:729-43
Meagher, Richard B (2010) The evolution of epitype. Plant Cell 22:1658-66
Smith, Aaron P; Jain, Ajay; Deal, Roger B et al. (2010) Histone H2A.Z regulates the expression of several classes of phosphate starvation response genes but not as a transcriptional activator. Plant Physiol 152:217-25
Meagher, Richard B; Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; Smith, Aaron P et al. (2010) Nuclear actin-related proteins at the core of epigenetic control. Plant Signal Behav 5:518-22
Price, Paul W; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Wang, Youliang et al. (2009) Engineered cell surface expression of membrane immunoglobulin as a means to identify monoclonal antibody-secreting hybridomas. J Immunol Methods 343:28-41

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