The DIF-1 signaling system in Dictyostelium. Metabolism of the signal

DIF-1 is a novel, chlorinated alkyl phenone from Dictyostelium which, at very low concentrations, induces amoebae to differentiate into stalk cells and may act as a morphogen in the formation of the prestalkprespore pattern during development. We report here the existence of a developmentally regulated metabolic pathway which inactivates DIF-1. Radioisotopically labeled DIF-1 was synthesized, incubated with developing cells, the metabolites recovered, and then analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography and TLC. At least 12 metabolites are produced and the early steps of a complex metabolic pathway have been deduced by following the flow of counts from one metabolite to another and by determining the fate of purified metabolites when they are incubated with cells. The first metabolite, DM1, is largely cell-associated whereas the more distal ones are found mainly in the medium. Metabolism inactivates DIF-1, since DM1 retains only 7% of the specific activity of DIF-1 in the stalk cell differentiation bioassay and later metabolites possess even less activity. Metabolism is developmentally regulated, increasing toward the end of aggregation to reach maximal levels at the tipped mound stage, as endogenous DIF-1 levels are themselves rising. Cells at this stage of development possess the capacity to metabolize their endogenous DIF-1 with a half-life of a few minutes. We suggest that DIF-1 metabolism is important to prevent the DIF-1 receptor system from becoming saturated by excess ligand, thus allowing cells to respond to changes in DIF-1 production. Metabolism may also produce other effector molecules from DIF-1 or produce DIF-1 gradients in the aggregate by the localized destruction of DIF-1.