EhPAK, a member of the p21-activated kinase family, is involved in the control ofEntamoeba histolyticamigration and phagocytosis

• DOI: 10.1242/jcs.00190
• Publication Date: 2002-11-28T03:03:16Z
• Authors: Elisabeth Labruyère; Christophe Zimmer; Vincent Galy; Jean-Christophe O...; Nancy Guillén
• Keywords: Pseudopodia; CDC42; Cell polarity

Entamoeba histolytica migration is essential for the development of amoebiasis, a human disease characterised by invasion and destruction tissues. Amoebic motility requires both polarisation cell formation predominant pseudopod. As p21-activated kinases PAKs are known to regulate eukaryotic morphology, we investigated role PAK in E. histolytica. We showed that C-terminal domain EhPAK comprised constitutive kinase activity vitro overproduction this fragment, histolytica, caused significant reduction amoeboid migration, as measured dynamic image analysis, indicating an involvement process. A dramatic loss polarity, indicated increased number membrane extensions all around was also observed, suggesting N-terminal necessary maintenance polarity. To support view, despite absence consensus motif bind Rac Cdc42, bound Rac1, region regulatory domain. In addition, found rate red blood phagocytosis, first time active protein Taking together, results suggest strongly key element phagocytosis