Activity of some enzymes in Physarum polycephalum

Summary The activity levels of seven enzymes were studied in growing plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum. The enzymes were isocitrate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, -glucosidase, and histidase. Six of the enzymes showed a continuous increase in activity during the mitotic cycle; glutamate dehydrogenase exhibited a stepwise increase about 5 h after mitosis. Cycloheximide immediately inhibited the activity of all enzymes. Actinomycin D was ineffective in inhibiting enzyme activity until after one mitotic cycle had been completed; this indicates that mRNA was stable for all of these enzymes during the G2 period. Attempts to induce enzyme activity were unsuccessful.

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Zusammenfassung Der Aktivitätsverlauf von sieben Enzymen wurde in wachsenden Plasmodien von Physarum polycephalum untersucht. Es handelte sich um die Enzyme: Isocitrat-Dehydrogenase, Glucose-6-Phosphat-Dehydrogenase, Glutamat-Dehydrogenase, saure Phosphatase, Phosphodiesterase, -Glucosidase und Histidase. Sechs dieser Enzyme wiesen einen kontinuierlichen Aktivitätsanstieg während des Mitosecyclus auf; Glutamat-Dehydrogenase zeigte einen stufenförmigen Anstieg etwa 5 Std nach der Kernteilung. Cycloheximid hemmte sofort die Aktivität der Enzyme, während Actinomycin D erst nach Ablauf eines halben Teilungscyclus inhibierend wirkte. Dies deutet auf eine relativ stabile mRNA hin. Versuche, die Aktivität zu induzieren, schlugen fehl.