Analysis of a Dictyostelium chemotaxis mutant with altered chemoattractant binding

A Dictyostelium discoideum mutant defective in folate chemotaxis has been analysed using biochemical, behavioural, and genetic methods. A subset of the cell-surface folate binding sites appeared to be locked in a high-affinity state from which folate dissociated extremely slowly. Changes in cell area and motility induced by step increases in folate required 10- to 100-fold higher concentrations than in the wild type. Folate-stimulated cyclic GMP production was also altered. Chemotactic responses to cyclic AMP as well as cyclic AMP-stimulated cyclic GMP production were normal. The mutation responsible for the chemotaxis defect, termed folA1000, was localized to linkage group IV. The alterations in folate binding and sensitivity to folate co-localized with the folA1000 mutation. We conclude that the folA1000 mutation arrests the folate chemotaxis receptor in a high affinity state that can only poorly transduce folate binding into chemotactic responses.