Studies on nuclear degeneration during programmed cell death of synergid and antipodal cells in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Triticum aestivum</Emphasis>

Morphological changes in the nuclear degeneration of the synergid (mainly the synergid that receives the pollen tube) and antipodal cells in Triticum aestivum were studied. Although located in the same embryo sac, and derived from the same megaspore, nuclear degeneration of the synergid and antipodal cells differs greatly. Nuclear degeneration in the synergid is characterized by pycnosis, i.e., total chromatin condensation, nuclear deformation and distinct shrinkage in volume, followed by the formation of an irregular and densely stained mass—the degenerated nucleus—while the nucleolus disappears prior to the degradation of chromatin. In contrast, in the nuclear degeneration of antipodal cells, chromatin is only partly condensed and the nuclear volume changes only slightly after the distinct chromatin condensation. Chromatolysis then occurs, i.e., stainable contents disappear while the nuclear envelope is retained. The nucleoli persist after the disappearance of the chromatin. The possible functions of nuclear degeneration of synergid and antipodal cells are discussed, especially with respect to the guidance of pollen tube growth and the proliferation of free-nuclear endosperm. The degeneration of synergids and antipodal cells in T. aestivum are distinct forms of programmed cell death, regarded as cytoplasmic cell death and nuclear degradation in advance of cell death, respectively.     

QUANTITATIVE OBSERVATIONS ON THE PATTERN OF SYNERGID DEGENERATION IN BARLEY

Serial sections of 75 ovules taken from two pollinations were examined in order to determine the pattern of early synergid degeneration in Hordeum vulgare (Bonus). It was found that synergid degeneration occurs in various patterns in ovules from successful pollinations: either both synergids degenerate, or only one degenerates; in those ovules where only one synergid degenerates, the degenerate synergid is nearly always located either proximal or distal to the placental attachment of the ovule. The results suggest that 1) synergid degeneration depends upon successful pollination, 2) degeneration of both synergids is equally as likely to occur as degeneration of only one synergid, and 3) in those cases where only one synergid degenerates, there is a greater tendency for the degenerate synergid to be located toward the placenta.     

POLLEN TUBE-SYNERGID INTERACTIONS IN PROBOSCIDEA LOUISIANICA (MARTINEACEAE)

The ultrastructure of the synergids of Proboscidea louisianica was investigated from just before fertilization until 48 hr after pollination. It was found that the cytoplasm of one synergid consistently begins to degenerate before arrival of the pollen tube at the embryo sac, and that it is always this synergid which receives the pollen tube tip and its discharge. The other synergid (persistent synergid) remained unchanged throughout the study period. Polysaccharide vesicles of pollen tube origin were observed fusing with the pollen tube wall as well as contributing to cell wall formation of the degenerate synergid. In one ovule (48 hr after pollination) two pollen tubes had entered and grown the length of the micropyle, but only the first tube penetrated the degenerate synergid and discharged normally. The second pollen tube was abutting against the persistent synergid, but had not entered or discharged. In another exceptional case (18 hr after pollination), a pollen tube had grown the length of the micropyle, but did not discharge, or enter either synergid. Both synergids of this ovule were observed to be completely intact. It is concluded that synergid and pollen tube cytoplasmic degeneration is the result of a very specific interaction between these two cells and that this degeneration is probably a prerequisite for normal pollen tube entrance and discharge into the embryo sac, and for male gamete transfer to the egg and central cell.     

Fertilization inNicotiana tabacum: Cytoskeletal modifications in the embryo sac during synergid degeneration

The cytoskeletal organization of the embryo sac of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) was examined at maturity and during synergid degeneration, pollen-tube delivery and gamete transfer using rapid-frozen, freeze-substituted and chemically fixed material in combination with immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy. Before fertilization, the synergid is a highly polarized cell with dense longitudinally aligned arrays of microtubules adjacent to the filiform apparatus at the micropylar end of the cell associated with major organelles. The cytoskeleton of the central cell is less polarized, with dense cortical microtubules in the micropylar and chalazal regions and looser, longitudinally oriented cortical microtubules in the lateral region. In the synergid and central cell, F-actin is frequently found at the surface of the organelles and co-localizes with either single microtubules or microtubule bundles. Egg cell microtubules are frequently cortical, randomly oriented and more abundant at the chalazal end of the cell; actin filaments are associated with microtubules and the cortex of the egg cell. At 48 h after pollination and before the pollen tube arrives, the onset of degeneration is evident in one of the two synergids: the electron density of cytoplasmic organelles and the ground cytoplasm increases and the nucleus becomes distorted. Although synergids otherwise remain intact, the vacuole collapses and organelles degenerate rapidly after pollen-tube entry. Abundant electron-dense material extends from the degenerated synergid into intercellular spaces at the chalazal end of the synergid and between the synergids, egg and central cell. Rhodamine-phalloidin and anti-actin immunogold labeling reveal that electron-dense aggregates in this region contain abundant actin forming two distinct bands termed coronas. This actin is part of a mechanism in the egg apparatus which appears to precisely position and facilitate the access of male gametes to the egg and central cell for fusion.Abbreviations ES embryo sac - FA filiform apparatus - Mf microfilament - Mt microtubule - PT pollen tube - RF-FS rapid-freeze freeze-substitution - TEM transmission electron microscopy We thank Gregory W. Strout for technical assistance in the use of the RF-FS technique and Dr. Hongshi Yu for providing Fig. 1. This research was supported by U.S. Department of Agriculture grants 88-37261-3761 and 91-37304-6471. We gratefully acknowledge use of the Samuel Robert Noble Electron Microscopy Laboratory of the University of Oklahoma.     

Cellular distribution of secretory pathway markers in the haploid synergid cells of Arabidopsis thaliana

In flowering plants, cell–cell communication plays a key role in reproductive success, as both pollination and fertilization require pathways that regulate interactions between many different cell types. Some of the most critical of these interactions are those between the pollen tube (PT) and the embryo sac, which ensure the delivery of sperm cells required for double fertilization. Synergid cells function to attract the PT through secretion of small peptides and in PT reception via membrane‐bound proteins associated with the endomembrane system and the cell surface. While many synergid‐expressed components regulating PT attraction and reception have been identified, few tools exist to study the localization of membrane‐bound proteins and the components of the endomembrane system in this cell type. In this study, we describe the localization and distribution of seven fluorescent markers that labelled components of the secretory pathway in synergid cells of Arabidopsis thaliana. These markers were used in co‐localization experiments to investigate the subcellular distribution of the two PT reception components LORELEI, a GPI‐anchored surface protein, and NORTIA, a MILDEW RESISTANCE LOCUS O protein, both found within the endomembrane system of the synergid cell. These secretory markers are useful tools for both reproductive and cell biologists, enabling the analysis of membrane‐associated trafficking within a haploid cell actively involved in polar transport.     

Patterns of embryo-sac organization,synergid degeneration and cotyledon orientation in Linum usitatissimum L.

The embryo sac of Linum usitatissimum consists, as in most angiosperms, of the egg, two synergids, central cell and antipodals. In Linum the embryo sac is strongly polarized in the longitudinal axis, but rotationally random relative to the vascular bundles of the ovule and ovary. Synergids designated right or left based on their orientation relative to the egg can be distinguished unambiguously if viewed from one pole of the embryo sac — in this case, the chalaza was used as the reference point. The synergid most likely to degenerate is the left (60%), proximal (52.3%) or septal-facing (52.7%) synergid. The volume and the surface area of the filiform apparatus of the left synergid is significantly smaller than that of the right synergid. Synergid-degeneration patterns varied between individual plants, indicating genetic control; however, the preference for the proximal and septal-facing synergid, although weak, indicates the possibility of some physiological influence. The cotyledons appear to assume bilateral symmetry with respect to the ovule only once endosperm digestion has begun. As the cotyledons grow, the embryo rotates to occupy the widest part of the embryo sac, thus imposing bilateral symmetry between the embryo and seed; prior to that time, the early and heart-shaped embryos are randomly oriented.This research was supported by U.S. Department of Agriculture grant 88-37261-3761. We thank Dr. Roger Meicenheimer, Department of Botany, Miami University, Oxford, USA, for providing seeds and Dr. Stephen Young, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, USA, for providing the program     

Overcoming hybridization barriers by the secretion of the maize pollen tube attractant ZmEA1 from Arabidopsis ovules

A major goal of plant reproduction research is to understand and overcome hybridization barriers so that the gene pool of crop plants can be increased and improved upon. After successful pollen germination on a receptive stigma, the nonmotile sperm cells of flowering plants are transported via the pollen tube (PT) to the egg apparatus for the achievement of double fertilization. The PT path is controlled by various hybridization mechanisms probably involving a larger number of species-specific molecular interactions. The egg-apparatus-secreted polymorphic peptides ZmEA1 in maize and LURE1 and LURE2 in Torenia fournieri as well as TcCRP1 in T. concolor were shown to be required for micropylar PT guidance, the last step of the PT journey. We report here that ZmEA1 attracts maize PTs in vitro and arrests their growth at higher concentrations. Furthermore, it binds to the subapical region of maize PT tips in a species-preferential manner. To overcome hybridization barriers at the level of gametophytic PT guidance, we expressed ZmEA1 in Arabidopsis synergid cells. Secreted ZmEA1 enabled Arabidopsis ovules to guide maize PT in vitro in a species-preferential manner to the micropylar opening of the ovule. These results demonstrate that the egg-apparatus-controlled reproductive-isolation barrier of PT guidance can be overcome even between unrelated plant families.     

Prepollination degeneration in mature synergids of pearl millet: an examination using antimonate fixation to localize calcium

Summary The pattern of degeneration in mature synergids of pearl millet prior to pollination was examined by transmission electron microscopy after conventional and antimonate fixation to precipitate loosely sequestered calcium (Ca). The extent of degeneration and the distribution of Ca in a synergid varied among samples, and also between some sister synergids. However, there seemed to be no difference between sister synergids in the total amount of precipitates present in each cell. Characteristic signs of degeneration in the antimonatefixed synergids were: a gap above the filiform apparatus with fibrillar material, precipitates, and fusing or disintegrating membranes; increased precipitates in the nucleus, nucleolus, and endoplasmic reticulum; fusion or collapse of a few vacuoles in the chalazal core with precipitates and flocculent material deposited nearby. The numerous mitochondria and proplastids in the micropylar portion of the synergid remained intact and mostly free of precipitates. The shape and content of the chalazal vacuoles appeared to be disparate and dependent on the fixation procedure as well as the extent of degeneration within a synergid. The results suggest that the sister synergids of pearl millet undergo autonomous degeneration apparently in two independent sequences that may be spatially and temporally separated. The vacuoles appear to be dynamic organelles that store Ca in association with some other material. A high concentration of Ca may be localized along or between the common wall of the two filiform apparatuses.On specific Cooperative Agreement 58-6612-8-002 with the Department of Biochemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA     

Changes in actin organization in the living egg apparatus of Torenia fournieri during fertilization

Changes in actin organization in the living egg apparatus of Torenia fournieri from anthesis to post-fertilization have been investigated using microinjection and confocal microscopy. Our results revealed that the actin cytoskeleton displays dramatic changes in the egg apparatus and appears to coordinate the events of synergid degeneration, pollen tube arrival and gametic fusion during fertilization. Synergid degeneration occurs after anthesis and is accompanied by actin fragmentation and degradation. The actin cytoskeleton becomes organized with numerous aggregates in the chalazal end of the degenerating synergid, and some of the actin infiltrates into the intercellular gap between synergids, egg and central cell, forming a distinct actin band. An actin cap is present near the filiform apparatus after anthesis and disappears after pollen tube arrival. In the egg cell, actin filaments initially organize into a network and after pollination become fragmented into numerous patches in the cortex. These structures, along with the actin in the degenerating synergid and intercellular spaces form two distinct actin coronas during fertilization. The actin coronas vanish after gametic fusion. This is the first report of changes in actin organization in the living egg apparatus. The reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in the egg apparatus and the presence of the actin coronas during fertilization suggest these events may be a necessary prelude to reception of the pollen tube and fusion of the male and female gametes. Received: 11 November 1999 / Accepted: 31 January 2000     

Fertilization in Nicotiana tabacum: ultrastructural organization of propane-jet-frozen embryo sacs in vivo

Ovules of Nicotiana tabacum L. were cryofixed with a propane-jet freezer and freeze-substituted in acetone to examine technique-dependent changes in pre- and post-fertilization embryo sacs using rapidly frozen material. Freezing quality was acceptable in 10% of the embryo sacs in the partially dissected ovules, with ice-crystal damage frequently evident in vacuoles and nuclei. One of the two synergids begins to degenerate before pollen-tube arrival in cryofixed material, with breakdown of the plasma membrane and large chalazal vacuole delayed until the penetration of the pollen tube. Early synergid degeneration involved characteristic increases in cytoplasmic electron density and the generation of cytoplasmic bodies to the intercellular space through “pinching-off”. Upon pollen-tube arrival, the male gametes are released through a terminal aperture into the degenerate synergid. Sperm cells undergo morphological alteration before gametic fusion: their mitochondrial electron density increases, the endoplasmic reticulum dilates, cytoplasm becomes finely vacuolated and the surrounding pollen plasma membrane is lost, causing the sperm cells and vegetative nucleus to dissociate. Discharge of the pollen tube results in the formation of numerous enucleated cytoplasmic bodies which are either stripped or shed from sperm cells and pollen-tube cytoplasm. Two so-called X-bodies are found in the degenerate synergid after pollen-tube penetration: the presumed vegetative nucleus occurs at the chalazal end and the presumed synergid nucleus near the micropylar end.     

Fertilization in Arabidopsis thaliana wild type: developmental stages and time course

We describe some previously uncharacterised stages of fertilization in Arabidopsis thaliana and provide for the first time a precise time course of the fertilization process. We hand-pollinated wild type pistils with wild type pollen (Columbia ecotype), fixed them at various times after pollination, and analysed 600 embryo sacs using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy. Degeneration of one of the synergid cells starts at 5 Hours After Pollination (HAP). Polarity of the egg changes rapidly after this synergid degeneration. Karyogamy is then detected by the presence of two nucleoli of different diameters in both the egg and central cell nuclei, 7-8 HAP. Within the next hour, first nuclear division takes place in the fertilized central cell and two nucleoli can then be seen transiently in each nucleus produced. In a second set of experiments, we hand-pollinated wild type pistils with pollen from a transgenic promLAT52::EGFP line that expresses EGFP in its pollen vegetative cell. Release of the pollen tube contents into the synergid cell could be detected in living material. We show that the timing of synergid degeneration and pollen tube release correlate well, suggesting that either the synergid cell degenerates at the time of pollen tube discharge or very shortly before it. These observations and protocols constitute an important basis for the further phenotypic analysis of mutants affected in fertilization.     

Changes of calcium distribution in ovules ofTorenia fournieri during pollination and fertilization

Summary Calcium distribution in ovules ofTorenia fournieri was studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopic visualization of calcium antimonate precipitates. High calcium levels were found in the ovules ofT. fournieri. Calcium is situated mainly in extracellular regions before fertilization, including the surface of embryo sac, in the mucilage, and among the cells of the egg apparatus. Intracellular calcium was found only in the nucellar cells around the embryo sac and in the epidermis of the central axis and funiculus. After pollination, a labyrinthine structure (coralloid-like cell wall formation) develops on the micropylar surfaces of the egg apparatus that contain high levels of calcium. Calcium levels increase in the degenerating synergid after the penetration of the pollen tube. Calcium-antimonate precipitates are abundant in vacuoles of the disrupted synergid and pollen tube cytoplasm.Abbreviations EELS electron energy loss spectroscopy - EDX energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis - LS labyrinthine structure     

Effects of high humidity and temperature stress on pollen membrane integrity and pollen vigour in Nicotiana tabacum

Summary The prolonged exposure of pollen Nicotiana tabacum to high humidity at both room temperature and 38° C did not affect membrane integrity as revealed by the fluorochromatic reaction (FCR) test, but did affect pollen vigour. At room temperature germination was not affected, although tube growth was reduced; at 38° C, there was both a reduction in tube growth and delayed germination. When the pollen was subjected to 1 h hydration followed by 1 h desiccation (up to a maximum of four cycles) at room temperature, a reduction in the FCR, germination and tube length after each desiccation treatment was observed. Subsequent hydration fully restored the FCR, but only partially restored germination and tube growth. At 38° C, however, FCR, germination, and tube growth were drastically reduced. The implications of these results on the relationship between FCR and germinability, the responses of pollen exposed to humidity and temperature stress in the field, and on pollen storage are discussed.     

Cytinus hypocistis L. embryogenesis: Some biological and ultrastructural aspects of fertilization and embryo development

Abstract

The present paper examines some biological and ultrastructural aspects of fertilization and early development of the embryo in Cytinus hypocistis, a parasitic plant belonging to the Rafflesiaceae. The probable functions of a mucilaginous substance contained in the ovary and embedding the numerous pollen tubes coming from the style are discussed.

It was ascertained that pollen tubes pass through the micropyle and enter a synergid pushing, their way through the nucellar cells that show swollen walls owing to a probable enzymatic action whose function is to facilitate pollen tube penetration. It was hypothesized that the secretion of such enzymes is attributable to the numerous pollen present in the ovary or entering the mycropyle.

Since, in all the ovules observed, synergid degeneration was never found before the arrival of the pollen tube, this degeneration was interpreted as being caused by the material disharged by the pollen tube, rather than being an essential prerequisite for pollen tube penetration into the synergid.

Pollen tube content was observed to be made up of an intensely electron-dense substance surrounding many lipidic globules and numerous polysaccharide vesicles that fuse with the pollen tube wall, clearly contributing to its growth.

The sequence of the first divisions of the developing embryo was followed and the extreme reduction of the embryo is confirmed.

In Cytinus hypocistis starch is totally absent from all the sells belonging to the female gamethophyte as well as to those belonging to the embryo, but lipidic globules are very frequent; it is therefore supposed that these bodies constitute good material for the nutrition of the zygote and early embryo.     

Three-dimensional organization and dynamic changes of the actin cytoskeleton in embryo sacs ofZea mays andTorenia fournieri

Summary Actin organization was observed inm-maleimidobenzoic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester(MBS)-treated maize embryo sacs by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results revealed that dynamic changes of actin occur not only in the degenerating synergid, but also in the egg during fertilization. The actin filaments distribute randomly in the chalazal part of the synergid before fertilization; they later become organized into numerous aggregates in the chalazal end after pollination. The accumulation of actin at this region is intensified after the pollen tube discharges its contents. Concurrently, actin patches have also been found in the cytoplasm of the egg cell and later they accumulate in the cortical region. To compare with MBS-treated maize embryo sacs, we have performed phalloidin microinjection to label the actin cytoskeleton in living embryo sacs ofTorenia fournieri. The results have extended the previous observations on the three-dimensional organization of the actin arrays in the cells of the female germ unit and confirm the occurrence of the actin coronas in the embryo sac during fertilization. We have found that there is an actin cap occurring near the filiform apparatus after anthesis. In addition, phalloidin microinjection into the Torenia embryo sac has proved the presence of intercellular actin between the cells of the female germ unit and thus confirms the occurrence of the actin coronas in the embryo sac during fertilization. Moreover, actin dynamic changes also take place in the egg and the central cell, accomplished with the interaction between the male and female gametes. The actin filaments initially organize into a distinct actin network in the cortex of the central cell after anthesis; they become fragmented in the micropylar end of the cell after pollination. Similar to maize, actin patches have also been observed in the egg cortex after pollination. This is the first report of actin dynamics in the living embryo sac. The results suggest that the actin cytoskeleton may play an essential role in the reception of the pollen tube, migration of the male gametes, and even gametic fusion.     

Ultrastructure of the micropyle and its relationship to pollen tube growth and synergid degeneration in sunflower

Summary Ultrastructural studies made on the micropyle of sunflower before and after pollination resulted in the following observations. (1) The micropyle is closed instead of a hole or canal. The inner epidermis of the integument on both sides of the micropyle is in close contact at the apex of the ovule. The boundary between the two sides consists of two layers of epidermal cuticle. (2) The micropyle contains a transmitting tissue. The micropyle is composed of an intercellular matrix produced by the epidermal cells of the integument. (3) The micropyle is asymmetrical, and is much wider on the side proximal to the funicle. On the funicle side the cells adjacent to the micropyle are similar to those of the transmitting tissue: they have large amounts of intercellular matrix and contain abundant dictyosomes, rough ER, and starch grains, and provide an appropriate environment for growth of the pollen tubes. The cells distal to the funicle are rich in rough ER and lipid bodies; they lack large intercellular spaces. (4) The micropyle is variable in the axial direction, i.e., it is much larger and more asymmetric at the level distal to the embryo sac than at a level close to the embryo sac. After pollination, one to four pollen tubes are seen in a micropyle. During their passage through the micropyle, most pollen tubes are restricted to the side proximal to the funicle. There is a greater tendency (81%) for the degenerate synergid to be located toward the funicle, i.e., at the same side as the pollen tube pathway. The data indicate a close relationship between micropyle organization, orientation of pollen tube growth, and synergid degeneration.     

FERTILIZATION IN BARLEY

The mature embryo sac of barley consists of an egg, two synergids, a central cell, and up to 100 antipodal cells. At shedding the male gametophyte is 3-celled, consisting of a vegetative cell with a large amount of starch and two sperms having PAS+ boundaries. Before pollination the nucleus and cytoplasm of each synergid appear normal. After pollination the nucleus and cytoplasm of one synergid undergo degeneration. The pollen tube grows along the surface of the integument of the ovule, passes through the micropyle, and enters the degenerate synergid through the filiform apparatus. The pollen tube discharges the vegetative nucleus, two cellular sperms, and a variable amount of starch into the degenerate synergid. Soon after deposition the sperms migrate by an unknown mechanism to the chalazal end of the degenerate synergid. Sperm nuclei then enter the cytoplasm of the egg and central cell, ultimately resulting in the formation of the zygote and primary endosperm nucleus, respectively. Sperm boundaries do not enter egg or central cell, but it was not possible to determine the fate of other sperm components. Degenerate vegetative and synergid nuclei remain in the synergid after fertilization, constituting what are considered to be X-bodies in barley. The second synergid degenerates during early embryogeny.     

莴苣助细胞发育过程中钙的分布研究

用焦锑酸盐沉淀法对莴苣助细胞中的钙分布进行了观察。结果表明,开花前3天刚形成的助细胞中的钙颗粒很少:开花前2天助细胞壁中的钙颗粒增加;开花前1天助细胞珠孔端细胞壁加厚,其中积累了许多钙颗粒:开花当天助细胞珠孔端的丝状器中聚集了大量的钙颗粒。授粉后1h时两个助细胞的结构和钙分布发生差异,一个呈退化状,其中的钙颗粒明显增多,另一宿存助细胞中的钙分布与授粉前相似。去雄不授粉1天后两个助细胞均保持完好,且两助细胞中的钙分布没有明显差异,表明由花粉管引起一个助细胞中钙含量增加进而导致了助细胞退化。退化助细胞在卵细胞与中央细胞之间形成一薄层。助细胞退化后不同部位的钙颗粒呈现出与受精作用密切有关的变化:授粉后1h时,钙主要聚集在近合点端部位;授粉后2.5h卵细胞即将受精,这时许多细小的钙颗粒主要聚集在卵细胞与中央细胞之间的薄层中;授粉后4h精、卵细胞已融合,这时退化助细胞合点端的钙颗粒明显减少,而在其珠孔端又聚集了较多的钙。上述助细胞中的钙含量变化与吸引花粉管进入胚囊和促使精卵细胞融合密切有关。     

Spatial patterning of the distribution of Ca2+ in Dictyostelium discoideum as assayed in fine glass capillaries

We have shown previously that the Ca²⁺-specific fluorescent dyes chlortetracycline (CTC) and indo-1/AM can be used to distinguish between prestalk and prespore cells inDictyostelium discoideum at a very early stage. In the present study, pre-and post-aggregative amoebae ofDictyostelium discoideum were labelled with CTC or indo-1 and their fluorescence monitored after being drawn into a fine glass capillary. The cells rapidly form two zones of Ca²⁺-CTC or Ca²⁺-indo-1 fluorescence. Anterior (air side) cells display a high level of fluorescence; the level drops in the middle portion of the capillary and rises again to a lesser extent in the posteriormost cells (oil side). When bounded by air on both sides, the cells display high fluorescence at both ends. When oil is present at both ends of the capillary, there is little fluorescence except for small regions at the ends. These outcomes are evident within a couple of minutes of the start of the experiment and the fluorescence pattern intensifies over the course of time. By using the indicator neutral red, as well as with CTC and indo-1, we show that a band displaying strong fluorescence moves away from the anterior end before stabilizing at the anterior-posterior boundary. We discuss our findings in relation to the role of Ca²⁺ in cell-type differentiation inDictyostelium discoideum.