Molecular motors and membrane traffic in Dictyostelium

Phagocytosis and membrane traffic in general are largely dependent on the c ytoskeleton and their associated molecular motors. The myosin family of mot ors, especially the unconventional myosins, interact with the actin cortex to facilitate the internalization of external materials during the early st eps of phagocytosis. Members of the kinesin and dynein motor families. whic h mediate transport along microtubules (MTs), facilitate the intracellular processing of the internalized materials and the movement of membrane. Rece nt studies indicate that some unconventional myosins are also involved in m embrane transport. and that the MT- and actin-dependent transport systems m ight interact with each other. Studies in Dictyostelium have led to the dis covery of many motors; involved in critical steps of phagocytosis and membr ane transport. With the ease of genetic and biochemical approaches. the est ablished functional analysis to test phagocytosis and vesicle transport, an d the effort of the Dictyostelium cDNA and Genome Projects. Dictyostelium w ill continue to be a superb model system to study phagocytosis in particula r and cytoskeleton and motors in general. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Sc ience B.V.