Stimulation by DIF causes an increase of intracellular Ca2+ in Dictyostelium discoideum

Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), we have studied the effect of the differentiation-inducing factor (DIF) on cellular Ca2+ in Dictyostelium discoideum. We have shown previously that freshly starved or postaggregation amoebae are heterogenous with respect to the amounts of cellular Ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Experimental cell research 1997-02, Vol.230 (2), p.403-406
Main Authors: Azhar, M, Kennady, P K, Pande, G, Nanjundiah, V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Calcium - metabolism
Chelating Agents - pharmacology
Dictyostelium - drug effects
Dictyostelium - metabolism
Egtazic Acid - pharmacology
Hexanones - pharmacology
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Summary:Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), we have studied the effect of the differentiation-inducing factor (DIF) on cellular Ca2+ in Dictyostelium discoideum. We have shown previously that freshly starved or postaggregation amoebae are heterogenous with respect to the amounts of cellular Ca2+ that they contain; the L or "low Ca2+" class exhibits a prespore tendency and the H or "high Ca2+" class exhibits a prestalk tendency. Upon adding DIF, within 2 min there is an approximately twofold increase in the relative fraction of amoebae falling in the H class. A major part of the increase is caused by Ca2+ influx from the extracellular medium. Therefore a rise in the level of cellular Ca2+ is an early step in the signal transduction pathway following stimulation by DIF. Also, in parallel with the cellular heterogeneity in respect of Ca2+ content, there is a heterogeneity in the response to DIF, which appears to be restricted to L cells.
ISSN:0014-4827
DOI:10.1006/excr.1996.3420