Molecular genetic analysis of myoF, a new Dictyostelium myosin I gene.

Several new members of the Dictyostelium myosin family have been identified by physical mapping techniques in combination with PCR. Here we describe the initial molecular genetic characterization of one of these, myoF. A 1-kb segment of the myoF gene was obtained by the PCR and used as a specific probe for Northern analysis and as a vehicle for gene-targeting studies. The myoF gene is expressed as a 3.7-kb message, a size consistent with it encoding a myosin I class unconventional myosin, bringing the total of myosin is present in Dictyostelium to six. Analysis of strains in which the myoF gene has been disrupted reveals that loss of the myoF protein does not result in obvious defects either in cellular translocation, or in other readily assayed actin-based processes. The results of our investigation indicate that the myosin I family is quite large in Dictyostelium, and that several members, including myoF, may either be functionally redundant or play roles in as yet undescribed actin-based processes.