Disease relevance of Volvox

• While introns in the 5' untranslated region and between codons 41-42 and 121-122 are present in many organisms, the introns in positions 168 and 246-247 had only been found previously in actin genes from the nematode Onchocerca volvulus and the green alga Volvox carterii, respectively [1].

High impact information on Volvox

• Sequence comparisons indicate that the self-assembling proteins that create the main parts of the complex Volvox ECM have evolved from a common ancestral gene [2].
• The sex-inducing pheromone of Volvox carteri is a glycoprotein that triggers development of males and females at a concentration below 10(-16) M [3].
• We have isolated a 1595-bp transposable element from the multicellular green alga Volvox carteri following its insertion into the nitrate reductase (nitA) locus [4].
• The corresponding transgenic Volvox strain synthesized the sugar transporter in a functional state and was able to efficiently incorporate 14C from labeled glucose or glucosamine [5].
• Response to the sexual pheromone and wounding in the green alga volvox: induction of an extracellular glycoprotein consisting almost exclusively of hydroxyproline [6].

Biological context of Volvox

• A novel extensin that may organize extracellular matrix biogenesis in Volvox carteri [7].
• The extracellular matrix of Volvox carteri: molecular structure of the cellular compartment [8].
• Histone genes of Volvox carteri: DNA sequence and organization of two H3-H4 gene loci [9].

Anatomical context of Volvox

• The structures of more than 10 ECM glycoproteins from a single species of Volvox are now known in molecular detail and are compared to other algal and plant cell wall/ECM glycoproteins [10].
• However, Volvox microsomes liberated most of the glucose indicating a specific glucosidase in the membranes of the alga [11].

Associations of Volvox with chemical compounds

• Evidence for autocatalytic cross-linking of hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins during extracellular matrix assembly in Volvox [12].
• SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis demonstrated in the highly purified Volvox enzyme the presence of a major protein band doublet with a Mr of about 65,000 and a minor doublet of Mr about 55,000-57,000 [13].
• Inhibition of phosphate uptake by fluphenazine, a calmodulin inhibitor. Analysis of Volvox wild-type and fluphenazine-resistant mutant strains [14].
• Cyclic AMP as an intraspheroidal differentiation signal in Volvox carteri [15].
• Glycolipid formation in Volvox carteri f. nagariensis: effects of tunicamycin and showdomycin [16].

Gene context of Volvox

• Two Volvox genomic clones each containing a pair of histone H3-H4 genes were sequenced [9].
• The Volvox H3 gene structure combines the exon-intron organization of fungal H3 and vertebrate H3.3 genes with a termination signal typical for animal H3.1 genes [9].
• The extracellular matrix (ECM) of Volvox contains insoluble fibrous layers that surround individual cells at a distance to form contiguous cellular compartments [8].
• The Volvox HRGP is also found to be inducible by wounding [6].
• The rhodopsin action spectrum suggests that the currents are induced by Volvox rhodopsin [17].

References