Species-Specific Aggregation Factor In Sponges |
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Authors: | W E G Müller I Müller R K Zahn B Kurelec |
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Institution: | Physiologisch-Chemisches Institut, Universitát Mainz, West Germany and Laboratory for Marine Molecular Biology, Institut Ruder Boskovi, Rovinj, Yugoslavia |
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Abstract: | In dissociated single cells from the sponge Geodia cydonium, DNA synthesis is initiated after incubation with a homologous, soluble aggregation factor. During the DNA -initiation phase the cyclic AMP - and cyclic GMP levels vary drastically; the cyclic AMP content drops from 2.2 pmol/106 cells to 0.3 pmol/106 cells while the cyclic GMP content increases from 0.6 pmol to 3.7 pmol/106 cells. the activity of neither the adenylate cyclase nor of the guanylate cyclase isolated from cells which have been incubated for different periods of time with the aggregation factor, is changed. the soluble as well as the particulate enzyme activities were checked in vitro. the cyclic nucleotide receptors have been isolated from the sponge cells and characterized with respect to their molecular weight, dissociation constant for cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP and intracellular concentration. None of these parameters are altered during aggregation factor-mediated DNA initiation. From these data it is concluded that the regulation of cyclic nucleotide levels is a consequence of a changed activity of nucleotide cyclases or of phosphodiesterases, but this is presumably not caused by a changed rate of synthesis of nucleotide cyclases or of cyclic nucleotide receptors. |
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