Abstract
Differentiation of body column epithelial cells into tentacle epithelial cells in Hydra is accompanied by changes in both cell shape and cell-cell contact. The molecular mechanism by which epithelial cells acquire tentacle cell characteristics is unknown. Here we report that expression of a Hydra homologue of the mammalian IQGAP1 protein is strongly upregulated during tentacle formation. Like mammalian IQGAP, Hydra IQGAP1 contains an N-terminal calponin-homology domain, IQ repeats and a conserved C terminus. In adult polyps a high level of Hydra IQGAP1 mRNA is detected at the basis of tentacles. Consistent with a role in tentacle formation, IQGAP1 expression is activated during head regeneration and budding at a time when tentacles are emerging. The observations support the previous hypothesis that IQGAP proteins are involved in cytoskeletal as well as cell-cell contact rearrangements.
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Received: 25 January 2000 / Accepted: 2 May 2000
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Venturelli, C., Kuznetsov, S., Salgado, L. et al. An IQGAP-related gene is activated during tentacle formation in the simple metazoan Hydra . Dev Gene Evol 210, 458–463 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004270000084
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004270000084