DIX结构域聚合驱动植物细胞极性复合物的组装，这一成果由荷兰瓦格宁根大学Dolf Weijers、英国MRC分子生物实验室Mariann Bienz等研究人员合作完成。2020年2月6日，这一研究成果发表在国际学术期刊《细胞》上。
研究人员表示，细胞极性是多细胞生物组织形态发生的基础。植物和动物独立地进化了多细胞性，并且它们的极性系统是否源自单细胞祖先仍未知。动物的平面极性是由Wnt信号传导赋予的，Wnt信号是Dishevelled所转导的古老信号通路，其通过动态的头尾DIX域聚合来组装信号体。相比之下，植物中的极性决定途径却难以捉摸。研究人员最近发现了拟南芥SOSEKI蛋白，其在整个发育过程中均表现出极性定位。
研究人员将SOSEKI鉴定为陆地植物中的古老极性蛋白质。通过真正的DIX域进行的浓度依赖性聚合反应，使这些能将ANGUSTIFOLIA募集到极性位点，类似于Dishevelled的信号依赖性效应物聚合反应的募集。跨界的结构域交换揭示了动植物DIX结构域的功能等效性。研究人员追踪DIX域到单细胞真核生物，因此表明DIX依赖性聚合是一个古老的机制，在不同界和极性蛋白的中心之间保守。
附：英文原文
Title: DIX Domain Polymerization Drives Assembly of Plant Cell Polarity Complexes
Author: Maritza van Dop, Marc Fiedler, Sumanth Mutte, Jeroen de Keijzer, Lisa Olijslager, Catherine Albrecht, Che-Yang Liao, Marcel E. Janson, Mariann Bienz, Dolf Weijers
Issue&Volume: January 30, 2020
Abstract: Cell polarity is fundamental for tissue morphogenesis in multicellular organisms. Plants and animals evolved multicellularity independently, and it is unknown whether their polarity systems are derived from a single-celled ancestor. Planar polarity in animals is conferred by Wnt signaling, an ancient signaling pathway transduced by Dishevelled, which assembles signalosomes by dynamic head-to-tail DIX domain polymerization. In contrast, polarity-determining pathways in plants are elusive. We recently discovered Arabidopsis SOSEKI proteins, which exhibit polar localization throughout development. Here, we identify SOSEKI as ancient polar proteins across land plants. Concentration-dependent polymerization via a bona fide DIX domain allows these to recruit ANGUSTIFOLIA to polar sites, similar to the polymerization-dependent recruitment of signaling effectors by Dishevelled. Cross-kingdom domain swaps reveal functional equivalence of animal and plant DIX domains. We trace DIX domains to unicellular eukaryotes and thus show that DIX-dependent polymerization is an ancient mechanism conserved between kingdoms and central to polarity proteins.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.01.011
Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)30058-1