| Abstract: | It has been shown that ammonia inhibits stalk cell formation in monolayers of V12M2, and it was suggested that this inhibition was due to an antagonism of the differentiation-inducing factor (DIF) (Gross, J.D. et al., Nature, 303, 244-246, 1983). However, the results presented here indicate that ammonia inhibition is independent of DIF concentration, and that it occurs well in advance of the period of DIF requirement. Ammonia completely inhibits DIF accumulation and inhibits stalk cell differentiation, but there is no inhibition of prespore cell formation. These results imply the existence of an early ammonia-sensitive event that influences terminal cell type differentiation. |
