Cell cycle phase, cellular $Ca^{2+}$ and development in Dictyostelium discoideum

Azhar, Mohammad and Kennady, PK and Pande, Gopal and Espiritu, Michael and Holloman, Wesley and Brazill, Derrick and Gomer, Richard H and Nanjundiah, Vidyanand (2001) Cell cycle phase, cellular $Ca^{2+}$ and development in Dictyostelium discoideum. In: International Journal of Developmental Biology, 45 (2). pp. 405-414.

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Abstract

In Dictyostelium discoideum, the initial differentiation of cells is regulated by the phase of the cell cycle at starvation. Cells in S and early G2 (or with a low DNA content) have relatively high levels of cellular $Ca^{2+}$ and display a prestalk tendency after starvation, whereas cells in mid to late G2 (or with a high DNA content) have relatively low levels of $Ca^{2+}$ and display a prespore tendency. We found that there is a correlation between cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ and cell cycle phase, with high $Ca^{2+}$ levels being restricted to cells in the S and early G2 phases. As expected on the basis of this correlation, cell cycle inhibitors influence the proportions of amoebae containing high or low $Ca^{2+}$. However, it has been reported that in the rtoA mutant, which upon differentiation gives rise to many more stalk cells than spores (compared to the wild type), initial cell-type choice is independent of cell cycle phase at starvation. In contrast to the wild type, a disproportionately large fraction of rtoA amoebae fall into the high $Ca^{2+}$ class, possibly due to an altered ability of this mutant to transport $Ca^{2+}$.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to UBC Press.
Keywords:	Dictyostelium;Calcium;Cell cycle;DNA content;Cell fate;rtoA
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Molecular Reproduction, Development & Genetics (formed by the merger of DBGL and CRBME)
Date Deposited:	23 Oct 2007
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 04:40
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ernet.in/id/eprint/12262

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