WASP and SCAR are evolutionarily conserved in actin-filled pseudopod-based motility.

ABSTRACT: Diverse eukaryotic cells crawl through complex environments using distinct modes of migration. To understand the underlying mechanisms and their evolutionary relationships, we must define each mode and identify its phenotypic and molecular markers. In this study, we focus on a widely dispersed migration mode characterized by dynamic actin-filled pseudopods that we call "α-motility." Mining genomic data reveals a clear trend: only organisms with both WASP and SCAR/WAVE-activators of branched actin assembly-make actin-filled pseudopods. Although SCAR has been shown to drive pseudopod formation, WASP's role in this process is controversial. We hypothesize that these genes collectively represent a genetic signature of α-motility because both are used for pseudopod formation. WASP depletion fro

SUBMITTER: Fritz-Laylin LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5461030 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature