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Initial cell-type choice in a simple eukaryote: cell-autonomous or morphogen-gradient dependent?

J L Clay1, R R Ammann, R H Gomer

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251-1892, USA.

Developmental Biology
|December 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
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Cell-cycle phase at starvation influences Dictyostelium discoideum cell-type differentiation, with cell-autonomous mechanisms driving initial ecmA gene expression. Later development involves additional factors in cell fate determination.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Eukaryotic Cell Differentiation

Background:

  • Dictyostelium discoideum differentiates from amoebas into stalk and spore cells upon starvation.
  • Two proposed mechanisms for cell-type differentiation: morphogen gradients versus cell-autonomous factors like cell-cycle phase.
  • Conflicting evidence exists regarding the primary drivers of prestalk cell fate determination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of cell-autonomous mechanisms in Dictyostelium discoideum cell-type differentiation.
  • To resolve discrepancies between morphogen gradient and cell-cycle phase models of cell fate determination.
  • To study ecmA gene expression at low cell densities, minimizing cell-cell interactions and morphogen gradients.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Utilized transformed Dictyostelium discoideum cells with a promoter of the prestalk gene ecmA fused to beta-galactosidase.
  • Examined ecmA fusion gene expression at low cell densities across various conditions.
  • Employed double-labeled immunofluorescence to track the ontogeny of cysteine proteinase 2 (CP2)-positive and ecmA-positive cells.

Main Results:

  • Under low cell density, ecmA fusion gene expression was consistently detected in less than 25% of cells from a clonal population, suggesting cell-autonomous control.
  • Initially, ecmA-positive cells were a subset of CP2-positive cells, with significant overlap occurring around 20 hours of development.
  • Up to 20 hours, ecmA expression was exclusively observed in CP2-positive cells, indicating a sequential differentiation process.

Conclusions:

  • Cell-cycle phase at starvation appears to be a primary determinant of initial cell-type choice in Dictyostelium discoideum.
  • Cell-autonomous mechanisms play a significant role in regulating early ecmA gene expression.
  • Later stages of development involve additional factors that influence cell fate beyond the initial cell-cycle determined choice.