Template Specificity of DNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases I and II during Development of a Mutant of the Cellular Slime Mold Dictyostelium discoideum

To examine whether or not the template specificity of DNA-dependentRNA polymerases I and II of Dictyostelium discoideum is alteredduring spore or stalk cell formation, we prepared the enzymesfrom vegetative, prespore and prestalk cells of a mutant (dev1515) of strain NC-4 and compared their template specificitiesfor synthetic polynudeotides. There was no difference in templatespecificity between prespore and prestalk cells, but minor changeswere observed between differentiated and undifferentiated cells,as we had reported previously (Takiya et al. 1980) for the wildtype NC-4. (Received May 28, 1981; Accepted August 10, 1981)