scholarly journals Glycoproteins that exhibit extensive size polymorphisms in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Genetics ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Smith ◽  
A A Gooley ◽  
G C Hudson ◽  
K L Williams
Keyword(s):  
Linkage Group ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Allelic Variation ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
Electrophoretic Variants ◽  
Cellular Slime Mould ◽  
Repeat Units ◽  
Group I ◽  
Cellular Slime

Abstract Electrophoretic variants which arise from amino acid substitutions, leading to charge differences between proteins are ubiquitous and have been used extensively for genetic analysis. Less well documented are polymorphisms in the size of proteins. Here we report that a group of glycoproteins, which share a common carbohydrate epitope, vary in size in different isolates of the cellular slime mould, Dictyostelium discoideum. One of these proteins, PsA, a developmentally regulated prespore-specific surface glycoprotein, has previously been shown to exist in three size forms due to allelic variation at the pspA locus on linkage group I. In this report, a second glycoprotein, PsB, which is also prespore specific but found inside prespore cells, is studied. PsB maps to linkage group II and exhibits at least four different sizes in the isolates examined. We propose that the size polymorphisms are the product of allelic variation at the pspB locus, due to differences in the number of repeat units.

scholarly journals Growth of myxamoebae of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum in axenic culture

1970 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Watts ◽  
J. M. Ashworth
Keyword(s):  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Axenic Culture ◽  
Axenic Medium ◽  
Cellular Slime Mould ◽  
Slime Mould ◽  
Solid Media ◽  
Cellular Slime

1. A simple axenic medium suitable for the growth of the myxamoebae of a strain of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum is described. 2. Procedures suitable for the growth of this strain in liquid and on solid media are described. 3. Conditions suitable for initiating the cell differentiation of myxamoebae grown axenically are described.

The role of phosphodiesterase in aggregation of Dictyostelium discoideum

1978 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-243
Author(s):  
M. Darmon ◽  
J. Barra ◽  
P. Brachet
Keyword(s):  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Extracellular Medium ◽  
Camp Phosphodiesterase ◽  
Cellular Slime Mould ◽  
Cellular Slime ◽  
Mutant Cells

The role of cAMP phosphodiesterase in the cAMP-mediated aggregation of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum was investigated with a morphogenetic mutant defective in phosphodiesterase production. Mutant cells become capable of aggregating normally when incubated in the presence of exogenous phosphodiesterase isolated from Idictyostelium or rat brain. Direct contact between enzyme and the cell membrane is not required for this phenotypic suppression. The aggregateless character of this strain presumably results from an over-accumulation of cAMP in the extracellular medium since aggregation can be induced in the absence of added phosphodiesterase under conditions facilitating diffusion of the nucleotide. This suggests that phosphodiesterase is not involved in the generation or recognition of cAMP signals, but that the enzyme is essential in the control of the cAMP signal-to-noise ratio.

Control of cellular differentiation by temperature in the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum

1984 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-165
Author(s):  
M. Maeda
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Cellular Differentiation ◽  
Cellular Slime Mould ◽  
Slime Mould ◽  
Cellular Slime

The effects of low temperature on morphogenesis and cellular differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum were examined. During incubation at 5 degrees C, the vegetative and preaggregation cells never developed, but cell masses at the aggregation or slug stage developed to form hemispherical, or dumbbell-shaped multicellular structures. By staining with FITC-antispore IgG, the structures formed after 10 days of incubation of tipped aggregates at 5 degrees C were found to be composed of 90% spores, 5% prespore cells and 5% non-stained cells. Since only 20% of the total cells constituting the tipped aggregate had been prespore cells at the beginning of incubation, this showed that spore differentiation proceeded even at low temperature, while stalk differentiation was completely inhibited. Similar results were obtained when the cells were incubated at 3 degrees C. However, at 0 degree C, morphogenesis and cellular differentiation did not occur, although most of the prespore cells at the late culmination stage differentiated incompletely into spores. Possible reasons for the high proportion of spores being induced by low temperature are discussed.

scholarly journals A polymorphic, prespore-specific cell surface glycoprotein is present in the extracellular matrix of Dictyostelium discoideum.

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 2559-2566 ◽  
Author(s):  
W N Grant ◽  
D L Welker ◽  
K L Williams
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Genetic Relationships ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
Cell Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Specific Cell Surface

Polymorphisms of a major developmentally regulated prespore-specific protein (PsA) in Dictyostelium discoideum slugs are described. These polymorphisms allowed discrimination between PsA (found on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix) and a similar extracellular but nonpolymorphic protein, ShA. The two proteins were also distinguished by their differing reactivities with a range of monoclonal antibodies and by their sensitivity to release from the sheath with cellulase. The results are discussed in terms of the molecular and genetic relationships between the cell surface and the extracellular matrix during development.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document