Purification and properties of a cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase that is active in only one cell type during the multicellular development of Dictyostelium discoideum

Biochemistry ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 1251-1258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L. Rutherford ◽  
Susan Saefkow Brown
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Multicellular Development ◽  
Cyclic Amp Phosphodiesterase ◽  
Purification And Properties

The effects of inhibition of protein glycosylation on the aggregation of Dictyostelium discoideum

Development ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-248
Author(s):  
Charles John McDonald ◽  
Jeffrey Sampson
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Total Protein ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Protein Glycosylation ◽  
Normal Process ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Cyclic Amp Phosphodiesterase

At concentrations greater than 10 µg ml−1 tunicamycin inhibited the incorporation of [3H]mannose into glycoproteins during the early phase of development in Dictyostelium discoideum, however, total protein synthesis was unaffected. Tunicamycin also interfered with the normal process of aggregation. In its presence small aggregates were observed at the time of normal aggregation, but amoebae failed to aggregate completely and subsequent development was inhibited. Inhibition of normal aggregation by tunicamycin was found to be reversible. The appearance of cell-associated and secreted cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and cell-surface contact sites A was prevented by tunicamycin but cell surface cyclic AMP receptor activity developed normally in its presence. Tunicamycin also prevented amoebae from acquiring the ability to chemotact toward cyclic AMP. Addition of exogenous cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase restored the ability of amoebae to chemotact toward cyclic AMP in the presence of tunicamycin. Our data suggest that the primary block in aggregation caused by tunicamycin results from the inhibition of expression of active cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase.

Identification of the sequences controlling cyclic AMP regulation and cell-type-specific expression of a prestalk-specific gene in Dictyostelium discoideum

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-159
Author(s):  
S Datta ◽  
R A Firtel
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Base Pair ◽  
Regulatory Region ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Endogenous Gene ◽  
Cell Type Specific Expression

We have cloned and analyzed a developmentally and spatially regulated prestalk cell-specific gene from Dictyostelium discoideum. The gene encodes a protein highly homologous to the lysosomal cysteine proteinases cathepsin H and cathepsin B. Amino acid comparisons between these enzymes showed that the active-site amino acids were conserved, as were amino acids known to be important for catalysis and residues which form the intramolecular cysteine bridges. We have constructed a series of internal deletions, duplications, and linker scanner mutations within the region 300 base pairs 5' to the cap site. Analysis of expression of the mutations in transformants identified a approximately 35-base pair GC-rich region containing a dAdC/dGdT palindromic repeat and a G-rich box which is homologous to the 3' GT half of the palindromic repeat. Deletion or disruption of the G box resulted in a approximately 50-fold drop in the level of expression of the gene fusion in transformants in response to cyclic AMP in single-cell culture but did not affect the temporal pattern of regulation or control by cyclic AMP. The expression of such constructs during normal multicellular differentiation paralleled that of the endogenous gene; however, the level of RNA from the constructs was only approximately 10-fold lower than that of constructs containing the G box. Deletion of the 3' half of the palindromic sequence and the G box region resulted in a dramatic decrease in the level of transcription, although the constructs still showed proper temporal expression. These results suggest that this 35-base-pair region acts as an important part of the regulatory region for cell type and cyclic AMP regulation.

Effects of calcium antagonists on cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase induction in Dictyostelium discoideum

1987 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-388
Author(s):  
M.B. Coukell ◽  
A.M. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Cell Viability ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Cyclic Gmp ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Second Messengers ◽  
Channel Blockers ◽  
Cyclic Amp Phosphodiesterase ◽  
Dose Dependent Fashion ◽  
Altered Cell

Previous studies have suggested that cyclic GMP and/or Ca2+ might function as second messengers in the induction by exogenous cyclic AMP of the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (PD) in Dictyostelium discoideum. To assess further the role of Ca2+ in PD induction we examined the effect on this process of a number of putative Ca2+-channel blockers. At relatively low micromolar concentrations, TMB-8, nicardipine, nifedipine, diltiazem and verapamil all altered cell shape and inhibited PD induction in a similar dose-dependent fashion. Concentrations of these drugs that abolished PD induction had no effect on cell viability; however, higher concentrations reduced viability and caused cell lysis. All effects of these compounds on the cells were antagonized at least partially by 5–10 mM-Ca2+. Other cations tested were considerably less effective. Like the organic inhibitors, La3+ also altered cell shape, inhibited PD induction and reduced cell viability at elevated concentrations, but its effect on the cells appeared to be more complex. Inhibition of PD induction by the organic antagonists could not be attributed solely to an impaired uptake of extracellular Ca2+, a reduction of ATP pools in the cells or a direct effect on calmodulin. Concentrations of TMB-8 that inhibited PD induction had little effect on the cyclic GMP response. Therefore, this compound did not inhibit PD induction indirectly by blocking cyclic GMP synthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Spatial and temporal regulation of a foreign gene by a prestalk-specific promoter in transformed Dictyostelium discoideum

1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 811-820
Author(s):  
S Datta ◽  
R H Gomer ◽  
R A Firtel
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Foreign Gene ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Coding Region ◽  
Endogenous Gene ◽  
Temporal Regulation

We analyzed a developmentally regulated prestalk-specific gene from Dictyostelium discoideum encoding a cathepsin-like protease. A hybrid gene was constructed by fusing 2.5 kilobases of 5' flanking sequences and part of the coding region of the gene in-frame to the Escherichia coli beta-glucuronidase gene and was transformed into D. discoideum cells. In cells transformed with this vector, the gene fusion showed the same temporal regulation as the endogenous gene during multicellular development and, like endogenous prestalk genes, was highly inducible by cyclic AMP in in vitro cell cultures. Moreover, immunofluorescence studies showed that the fusion protein had the same spatial distribution within the migrating pseudoplasmodium as the endogenous gene. The results indicate that the regions of the D. discoideum prestalk-specific cathepsin gene contain all the necessary information for proper temporal, spatial, and cyclic AMP regulation of a prestalk cell-type gene in D. discoideum transformants and leads the way for experiments to identify the cell-type-specific regulatory elements.

Effects of suboptimal levels of extracellular calcium on the regulation of the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase-inhibitor system and membrane differentiation in Dictyostelium discoideum

1988 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.B. Coukell ◽  
A.M. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Cyclic Gmp ◽  
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Cyclic Amp Phosphodiesterase ◽  
Dose Dependent Fashion ◽  
Inhibitor System ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Dose Dependent

When starved wild-type amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum were washed and incubated in 1 mM-EGTA, their ability to induce soluble cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (PD) activity in response to either millimolar cyclic AMP or a series of nanomolar cyclic AMP pulses was reduced by 55–75%. Supplementation of EGTA-treated cells with exogenous Ca2+ stimulated PD induction in a dose-dependent fashion (EC50 = 100–200 nM free extracellular Ca2+), and enzyme production was maximal at about 1 microM free Ca2+. Ca2+ depletion also strongly impaired production of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDI). In contrast, other than delaying their appearance by about 1 h, EGTA had little effect on the induction by cyclic AMP pulses of cell surface markers such as contact sites A and membrane-bound PD activity. Similar changes in both the soluble and membrane activities were observed with strain NP368, a mutant that overproduces cyclic GMP when stimulated by cyclic AMP. Thus, Ca2+ depletion does not appear to inhibit PD and PDI production by reducing intracellular cyclic GMP. To determine whether Ca2+ depletion alters signal transduction, two mutants that produce the soluble PD activities constitutively were examined. Suboptimal concentrations of free extracellular Ca2+ were found to inhibit PD production in these cells to the same degree and with the same concentration dependence as low Ca2+ inhibited PD induction by cyclic AMP in wild-type cells. These results suggest that Ca2+ depletion by EGTA probably inhibits PD and PDI production indirectly by perturbing an intracellular Ca2+ pool(s) rather than by altering a surface cyclic AMP-receptor-mediated process.

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