Regulation of multiple tip formation by caffeine in cellular slime molds

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The multicellular slug in Dictyostelium has a single tip that acts as an organising centre patterning the rest of the slug. High adenosine levels at the tip are believed to be responsible for this tip dominance and the adenosine antagonist, caffeine overrides this dominance promoting multiple tip formation. RESULTS: Caffeine induced multiple tip effect is conserved in all the Dictyostelids tested. Two key components of cAMP relay namely, cAMP phosphodiesterase (Pde4) and adenyl cyclase-A (AcaA) levels get reduced during secondary tip formation in Dictyostelium discoideum. Pharmacological inhibition of cAMP phosphodiesterase also resulted in multiple tips. Caffeine reduces cAMP levels by 16.4, 2.34, 4.71 and 6.30 folds, respectively in D. discoideum, D. aureostipes, D. minutum and Polysphondylium pallidum. We propose that altered cAMP levels, perturbed cAMP gradient and impaired signalling may be the critical factors for the origin of multiple tips in other Dictyostelids as well. In the presence of caffeine, slug cell movement gets impaired and restricted. The cell type specific markers, ecmA (prestalk) and pspA (prespore) cells are not equally contributing during additional tip formation. During additional tip emergence, prespore cells transdifferentiate to compensate the loss of prestalk cells. CONCLUSION: Caffeine decreases adenyl cyclase--A (AcaA) levels and as a consequence low cAMP is synthesised altering the gradient. Further if cAMP phosphodiesterase (Pde4) levels go down in the presence of caffeine, the cAMP gradient breaks down. When there is no cAMP gradient, directional movement is inhibited and might favour re-differentiation of prespore to prestalk cells.     

Mating types in cellular slime molds

We have discovered mating types in three species of cellular slime mold. One of these species is $\text{Dictyostelium}\text{discoideum}$, hitherto the subject of extensive biochemical investigations, and now amenable to genetic studies.     

Negative chemotaxis in cellular slime molds.

This study confirms the suggestion of earlier workers that the vegetative amoebae of Dictyostelium repel each other while those of Polysphondylium violaceum do not. When Dictyostelium amoebae were placed in drops on thin and thick agar, the cells moved out faster on the thin agar, presumably because the repellent was more concentrated. This did not occur with Polysphondylium amoebae. Also, if 2 drops of cells were placed side by side, or a single drop was placed near an edge, in Dictyostelium there were fewer cells emerging between the drops (or near an edge) than on the far side. Polysphondylium showed no such difference. However, Polysphondylium amoebae were repelled by Dictyostelium cells (but not vice versa) when drops of each were placed beside one another. Finally, if Dictyostelium discoideum cells were placed in drops over thick and thin agar, but separated from the agar by a dialysis membrane, the cells again spread farther on the thin agar, indicating that the repellent is a dialyzable molecule.     

Regulation of cysteine proteinases during different pathways of differentiation in cellular slime molds

Cysteine proteinase activities have been determined using gelatin-SDS-PAGE analysis and assays based on peptide nitroanilides. Vegetative myxamoebae of all species examined contain high levels of cysteine proteinase activity present in multiple forms. In both Dictyostelium discoideum and Polysphondylium pallidum the proteinase content is dependent on whether the cells are grown axenically or in association with bacteria. In all instances development is accompanied by a decreased intracellular cysteine proteinase activity. This occurs during the formation of fruiting bodies in D. discoideum, microcysts in P. pallidum, and macrocysts in Dictyostelium mucoroides. Significant quantities of proteinase activity are always secreted by myxamoebae immediately on starvation. In D. mucoroides this leads to an almost total depletion of intracellular cysteine proteinases by the aggregation stage. As a consequence of this depletion it has been relatively easy to detect a developmentally regulated accumulation of cysteine proteinases at the enzyme activity level, something which has not yet proved possible with D. discoideum. Three cysteine proteinases are produced as D. mucoroides macrocysts develop and mature. In the case of microcyst formation in P. pallidum the proteinase contents of the developing cells and of the microcysts are dependent on how the myxamoebae are grown. In this developmental pathway at least, there is no absolute requirement for specific proteinases to be present (or absent) at a particular stage. The diversity of cysteine proteinases found in cellular slime molds and the variety of features apparent in their regulation suggest that they will prove to be very useful for investigating features of the structure/function relationships in this important group of enzymes.     

Behavior of cellular slime molds in the soil

Cellular slime molds are soil organisms, yet since they were discovered in 1869 they have been studied on agar surfaces. Here the behavior of a number of species is examined and it is evident that they have different responses to directional light and they all thrive in the presence of soil. While phototaxis clearly plays a significant role in their ability to come to the soil surface for dispersal, even more important are gradients in the soil: both temperature gradients known from earlier studies, and as we show here gas gradients, presumably ammonia as a repellent and oxygen as an attractant. There are numerous differences in both morphology and behavior among slime mold species, some of which are likely to be the result of natural selection to particular habitats, while others could be explained more easily by neutral phenotypic variation.     

Direct measurement of species-specific cohesion in cellular slime molds

Partially differentiated cells of two species of cellular slime molds, Dictyostelium discoideum and Dictyostelium purpureum, were labeled with isothiocyanate derivatives of fluorescent dyes. The labeled cells of each species segregated promptly when mixed and placed on moist filters. We determined whether cells studied at a time when they demonstrated this capacity to segregate showed a preferential adherence to cells of the same species. When labeled dissociated cells of each species were interacted with an unlabeled immobilized layer of cells of each species under appropriate conditions, binding was, in part, species-specific.     

Chemotaxis and binding of cyclic AMP in cellular slime molds

To obtain more information about how cyclic AMP mediates cell aggregation as found in some species of the cellular slime molds, we determined the maximal binding activity of cyclic AMP min different species under various environmental conditions. The binding of cyclic AMP is limited to amoebae using this cyclic nucleotide as chemotactic agent. Maximal binding activity proved to coincide with a maximal chemotactic response and to be related to the lenght of the period between the vegetative and the aggregative phase. Of the species studied, Dictyostelium discoideum has the highest cellular density of cyclic AMP receptors and is the most sensitive to cyclic AMP as attractant.At 15°C, aggregation begins later, chemotaxis takes effect over a greater distance, and the maximal binding activity is higher than at 22°C. The number of cyclic AMP receptors is independent of temperature. The delay in the onset of aggregation and the increased chemotactic response in darkness is not due to a change in the maximal binding activity. The binding of cyclic AMP and its inactivation is discussed in the light of cell aggregation.     

两种网柄细胞状黏菌挥发性成分

采用固相微萃取气相色谱-质谱联用技术,对紫轮柄菌Polysphondylium violaceum和簇生岐柄菌Cavenderia fasciculata子实体的挥发性成分进行分析,从这两种网柄细胞状黏菌中共鉴定出32种挥发性成分,包括烃、醛、吲哚、萜、酮、酯和酚类化合物.其中,紫轮柄菌P.violaceum的挥发性成...     

Occurrence and distribution of dictyostelid cellular slime molds in Norway

The distribution of eleven dictyostelid cellular slime molds found in Norway was studied. They were divided into four groups according to their dominance. In decreasing order the groups were: (1) two varieties of Dictyostelium mucoroides , (2) D. aureostipes and Polysphondylium violaceum , (3) D. fasciculatum, D. minutum, P. pallidum and Dictyostelium sp. 1, and (4) Dictyostelium sp. 2 and 3 and Acytostelium lep–tosomum. Differences in distribution related to altitudes and latitudes, climates and dominant tree species were observed for some species.     

Intracellular cyclic GMP-binding proteins in cellular slime molds.

The complexity of cyclic GMP-binding activity in the 48,000 X g supernatant of three species of the cellular slime molds (Dictyostelium discoideum, Dictyostelium rosarium, and Polysphondylium violaceum) was studied by gel filtration chromatography on AcA 34 Ultrogel. All these species have in common a cyclic GMP-binding protein of molecular weight of about 2.5 X 10(5) which specifically binds this nucleotide. In addition, Scatchard plots of assays carried out with the 48,000 X g supernatant of these species exhibit cyclic GMP-binding activity with an apparent dissociation constant of about 1 nM. None of the cyclic GMP-binding proteins separated by chromatography on AcA 34 Ultrogel was associated to protein kinase activity stimulation. In view of the cyclic GMP function during chemotactic transduction in the cellular slime molds, the possible molecular function for this 2.5 X 10(5)-dalton cyclic GMP-binding protein is discussed.     

网柄细胞状黏菌纯化培养基的改进

网柄细胞状黏菌传统的分离培养是在添加细菌的培养基上进行的。选取了9种网柄细胞状黏菌作为研究对象,在不饲喂任何细菌的条件下于3种培养基上进行培养,通过对生长状态的比较,发现燕麦片琼脂培养基对于纯化网柄细胞状黏菌具有较好的效果。