Abstract
Repeated pulses of cyclic AMP, applied at intervals of 5 min, efficiently induced differentiation in cells of agip 53, a morphogenetic mutant of Dictyostelium discoideum, strain Ax-2. In contrast, pulses applied at intervals of 2 min did not induce cell differentiation. To analyze this phenomenon the hydrolysis of cyclic AMP between the pulses as well as the effect of the pulses on the intracellular concentration of cyclic GMP were investigated. Experiments performed in the presence of added cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase revealed that incomplete hydrolysis of cyclic AMP was not the reason for the inefficiency of the pulses applied with a 2-min rhythm. Cyclic AMP pulses applied at intervals of 2 min induced discrete increases of the cyclic GMP concentration. Limited time resolution at the level of cyclic GMP cannot account for the inefficiency of the 2-min pulses.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beug H, Katz FE, Gerisch G (1973) Dynamics of antigenic membrane sites relating to cell aggregation in Dictyostelium discoideum. J Cell Biol 56: 647–658
Bonner JT (1967) The cellular slime molds. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ
Darmon M, Brachet P, Pereira da Silva LH (1975) Chemotactic signals induce cell differentiation in Dictyostelium discoideum. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72: 3163–3166
Gerisch G, Hess B (1974) Cyclic AMP-controlled oscillations in suspended Dictyostelium cells: Their relation to morphogenetic cell interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 71: 2118–2122
Gerisch G, Malchow D (1976) Cyclic AMP receptors and the control of cell aggregation in Dictyostelium. Greengard P, Robison GA (eds) Adv Cyclic Nucleotide Res, vol 7. Raven Press, New York, pp 49–68
Gerisch G, Wick U (1975) Intracellular oscillations and release of cyclic AMP from Dictyostelium cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 65: 364–370
Gerisch G, Malchow D, Riedel V, Müller E, Every M (1972) Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and its inhibitor in slime mould development. Nature (New Biol) 235: 90–92
Gerisch G, Fromm H, Huesgen A, Wick U (1975) Control of cell-contact sites by cyclic AMP pulses in differentiating Dictyostelium cells. Nature 255: 547–549
Gerisch G, Maeda Y, Malchow D, Roos W, Wick U, Wurster B (1977) Cyclic AMP signals and the control of cell aggregation in Dictyostelium discoideum. In: Cappuccinelli P, Ashworth JM (eds) Developments and differentiation in the cellular slime moulds Elsevier/North Holland, Biomedical Press, Amsterdam New York, pp 105–124
Harper JF, Brooker G (1975) Femtomole sensitive radioimmunoassay for cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP after 2′O acetylation by acetic anhydride in aqueous solution. J Cyclic Nucleotide Res 1: 207–218
Konijn TM, van de Meene JGC, Bonner JT, Barkley DS (1967) The acrasin activity of adenosine-3′,5′-cyclic phosphate. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 58: 1152–1154
Loomis WF (1975) Dictyostelium discoideum. A developmental system. Academic Press, New York
Malchow D, Nägele B, Schwarz H, Gerisch G (1972) Membrane-bound cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in chemotactically responding cells of Dictyostelium discoideum. Eur J Biochem 28: 136–142
Mato JM, Krens FA, van Haastert PJM, Konijn TM (1977a) 3′:5′-cyclic AMP-dependent 3′:5′-cyclic GMP accumulation in Dictyostelium discoideum. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74: 2348–2351
Mato JM, van Haastert PJM, Krens FA, Rhijnsburger EH, Dobbe FCPM, Konijn TM (1977b) Cyclic AMP and folic acid mediated cyclic GMP accumulation in Dictyostelium discoideum. FEBS Lett 79: 331–336
Pan P, Hall EM, Bonner JT (1972) Folic acid as second chemotactic substance in the cellular slime moulds. Nature (New Biol) 237: 181–182
Tsang AS, Coukell MB (1979) Biochemical and genetic evidence for two extracellular adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate phosphodiesterases in Dictyostelium discoideum. Eur J Biochem 95: 407–417
Watts DJ, Ashworth JM (1970) Growth of myxamoebae of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum in axenic culture. Biochem J 119: 171–174
Wurster B, Bumann J (1981) Cell differentiation in the absence of intracellular cyclic AMP pulses in Dictyostelium discoideum. Dev Biol 85: 262–265
Wurster B, Schubiger K (1977) Oscillations and cell development in Dictyostelium discoideum stimulated by folic acid pulses. J Cell Sci 27: 105–114
Wurster B, Schubiger K, Wick U, Gerisch G (1977) Cyclic GMP in Dictyostelium. Oscillations and pulses in response to folic acid and cyclic AMP signals. FEBS Lett 76: 141–144
Wurster B, Bozzaro S, Gerisch G (1978) Cyclic GMP regulation and responses of Polysphondylium violaceum to chemoattractants. Cell Biol Int Rep 2: 61–69
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wurster, B. On induction of cell differentiation by cyclic AMP pulses in Dictyostelium discoideum . Biophys. Struct. Mechanism 9, 137–143 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00539113
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00539113