Cell-cycle regulation of center initiation in Dictyostelium discoideum

The center-initiating behavior of Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae in various cell-cycle phases was investigated. Small populations of synchronized AX-2 cells were seeded 1 in 1000 into cultures of a nonsignaling mutant (NP160) incapable of initiating centers. The ability of the wild-type AX-2 cells to initiate centers among mutant amoebae displayed cell-cycle regulation. Approximately 50% of a population of S-phase cells initiated centers while only 7.5% of a population of late G2-phase cells resulted in center formation. The timing of center formation also varied with cycle position. Synchronous cultures containing only AX-2 S-phase amoebae (no NP160) displayed the initial signs of aggregation after 4.5 hr of starvation and streaming into the aggregate was complete after 6 hr. In contrast, cultures of late G2-phase amoebae initiated aggregation centers after 5.5 hr of starvation and did not complete streaming until 7.5 hr. In addition, the number of aggregates formed by these synchronous cultures of AX-2 cells also varied with cycle position. In general, these results suggest a cell-cycle modulation of the autonomous signaling responsible for center initiation.