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Related Experiment Videos

The prestalk-prespore pattern in cellular slime molds.

H K MacWilliams, J T Bonner

    Differentiation; Research in Biological Diversity
    |January 1, 1979
    PubMed
    Summary
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    Cellular slime molds exhibit a prestalk-prespore pattern that regulates cell differentiation. The activator-inhibitor model best explains this pattern formation and its regulation during development.

    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Biology
    • Cellular Slime Molds
    • Pattern Formation

    Background:

    • Cellular slime molds differentiate into anterior prestalk and posterior prespore zones during the slug stage.
    • Cells in these zones are not irreversibly committed and can interconvert.
    • The prestalk-prespore pattern is maintained with a consistent volume ratio across different slug sizes.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate different models for generating the prestalk-prespore pattern in cellular slime molds.
    • To compare the predictive power of cell-contact, positional-information, and activator-inhibitor models.
    • To identify experimental predictions that can differentiate between these pattern formation models.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of pattern regulation through tissue removal and observation of cell conversion.

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  • Comparison of experimental observations with predictions from three distinct theoretical models: cell-contact, positional-information, and activator-inhibitor.
  • Evaluation of model success based on their ability to explain known features and predict novel phenomena.

    • Main Results:

    • The activator-inhibitor model most successfully describes the observed prestalk-prespore pattern and its regulation.
    • Different models make distinct predictions regarding the effects of transplants and the existence of specific mutants.
    • The activator-inhibitor model predicts mutants with accessory prestalk or prespore zones, offering a testable hypothesis.

    Conclusions:

    • The activator-inhibitor model provides the most comprehensive explanation for cellular slime mold pattern formation.
    • Further investigation into phenomena predicted by the activator-inhibitor model, such as accessory zones, is crucial.
    • Experimental validation of these predictions will determine the continued preeminence of the activator-inhibitor model.