CSM News Electronic Edition Volume 6, number 1 January 13, 1996 Please submit abstracts of your papers as soon as they have been accepted for publication by sending them to CSM-News@worms.cmb.nwu.edu. Back issues of CSM-News, the CSM Reference database and other useful information is available by anonymous ftp from worms.cmb.nwu.edu [165.124.233.50], via Gopher at the same address, or by World Wide Web at the URL "http://worms.cmb.nwu.edu/dicty.html" =========== Positions =========== POSTDOC AVAILABLE: DICTYOSTELIUM CYTOSKELETON A variety of projects are available for a postdoctoral scientist interested in the cytoskeleton. Projects include mutagenesis of actin binding proteins, characterization of kinesin-like proteins, genetic and biochemical approaches to interactions between cytoskeletal components. The candidate should be competent in recombinant DNA methods and protein purification. Familiarity with one or more of the following would be advantageous: Dictyostelium, yeast, actin or tubulin biochemistry, microscopy. Competitive salary for 1-2 years. For more information please take a look at our web page. Those interested please send resume by email. Eugenio L. de Hostos, Ph.D. Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology Rice University Houston, Texas email hostos@bioc.rice.edu URL http://bioc.rice.edu/~hostos --------------------------------------------------------------------- Position Available A graduate stipend is available to investigate cell movment and pattern formation in the multicellular stage of Dictyostelium development. Video and laser scanning microscopy will be used together with digital image processing to analyse cell movement in GFP (green fluorescent protein) transformed strains. For references and further information see: http://www.zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de/zoologie/dicty/dicty.html. The position is available beginning immediately for 2 years initially.The laboratory is located in the Zoological Institute at the University of Munich. The stipend is approximately 35.000 DM per year. Interested students with a relevant honours or masters degree are invited to contact si@zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de (Dr. Florian Siegert). Dr. Florian Siegert Zoologisches Institut der LMU Muenchen Luisenstr. 14 80333 Muenchen Tel. +49-89-5902442 Fax. +49-89-5902450 Internet: http://www.zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de/zoologie/dicty/dicty.html ************************************************************ Cortical tension in most nonmuscle cells is due largely to force production by conventional myosin (myosin II) assembled into the Thomas T. Egelhoff, Teresa V. Naismith, and Frank V. Brozovich Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106-4970 J. Muscle Research and Cell Motility, in press Summary Cortical tension in most nonmuscle cells is due largely to force production by conventional myosin (myosin II) assembled into the cytoskeleton. Cytoskeletal contraction in smooth muscle and nonmuscle cells is influenced by the degree of myosin filament assembly, and by activation of myosin motor function via regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphorylation. Recombinant Dictyostelium discoideum cell lines have been generated bearing altered myosin heavy chains, resulting in either constitutive motor function or constitutive assembly into the cytoskeleton. Analysis of these cells allowed stiffening responses to agonists, measured on single cells, to be resolved into an RLC-mediated component reflecting activation of motor function, and a myosin heavy chain (MHC) phosphorylation-regulated component reflecting assembly of filaments into the cytoskeleton. These two components can account for all of the cortical stiffening response seen during tested in vivo contractile events. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ============ Correction ============ The name of an author on the following entitled abstract was misspelled in the last edition of the newsletter. The correct title and author list are: Cloning and characterization of a Dictyostelium discoideum cDNA encoding a protein related to the medium chain subunit of clathrin-associated adaptor complexes Lesly A. Temesvari (a,b,*), David J. Seastone (a,*) and James A. Cardelli (a,b) aDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology and bCenter for Excellence in Cancer Research, Louisiana State University Medical Center,Shreveport, LA 71130, USA *These authors have contributed equally to this study and should be considered co-first authors Gene, in press --------------------------------------------------------------------- [End CSM News, volume 6, number 8]