Patterning of development in Dictyostelium discoideum: factors regulating growth, differentiation, spore dormancy, and germination

• Published in: Biochemistry and cell biology Vol. 70; no. 10/11; pp. 892 - 919
• Main Authors: Cotter, D.A, Sands, T.W, Virdy, K.J, North, M.J, Klein, G, Satre, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada 01.10.1992
• Subjects: Adenine - analogs & derivatives; Adenine - physiology; Amino Acid Sequence; ammonia; Ammonia - metabolism; Animals; Base Sequence; biological development; cell differentiation; cyclic AMP; Cyclic AMP - physiology; Dictyostelium; Dictyostelium - genetics; Dictyostelium - growth & development; Dictyostelium - physiology; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; glutamine; Growth Substances - metabolism; Hexanones - metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Morphogenesis - physiology; spore autoactivator; spore germination; Spores, Fungal - physiology
• ISSN: 0829-8211; 1208-6002
• DOI: 10.1139/o92-137

Cellular communication dictates all stages of growth and development in the cellular slime molds. Dictyostelium discoideum utilizes a number of signal molecules for cell-to-cell communication, including growth and density factors, cAMP, ammonia, differentiation-inducing factor, discadenine, and spore autoactivator. A source and sink model is presented in which the assimilation of ammonia plays a major role in determining cell fate and pattern formation. This model emphasizes a recycling of ammonia by prespore cells, the accumulation of free hydrophilic and neutral amino acids, and their incorporation into proteins associated with sporulation and (or) germination. If spore cAMP signalling is regulated by the relative concentrations of discadenine and autoactivator, and its disruption triggers the initiation of the spore germination cascade, then the accumulation of intracellular cAMP may be necessary for both sporulation and dormancy maintenance.