TY  - JOUR
TI  - A cell type-specific effect of calcium on pattern formation and differentiation in <i>Dictyostelium discoideum</i>.
AU  - Baskar, R
AU  - Chhabra, P
AU  - Mascarenhas, P
AU  - Nanjundiah, V
T2  - The International Journal of Developmental Biology
AB  - Spatial gradients of sequestered and free cellular calcium (Ca2+) exist in the slug of Dictyostelium discoideum (Maeda and Maeda, 1973; Tirlapur et al., 1991; Azhar et al., 1995; Cubitt et al., 1995). When we vary intracellular Ca2+ with the help of calcium buffers and the ionophore Br-A23187, there are striking effects on slug morphology, patterning and cell differentiation. In the presence of a calcium ionophore, high external Ca2+ levels lead to an increase of intracellular sequestered and free Ca2+, the formation of long slugs, a decrease in the fraction of genetically defined prespore cells and 'stalky' fruiting bodies. Conversely, a lowering of external Ca2+ levels results in a decrease of intracellular Ca2+, the formation of short slugs, an increase in the prespore fraction and 'spory' fruiting bodies. We infer that Ca2+ plays a significant morphogenetic role in D. discoideum development, by selectively promoting the prestalk pathway relative to the prespore pathway.
PY  - 2000
VL  - 44
IS  - 5
SP  - 491
EP  - 498
J2  - Int. J. Dev. Biol.
LA  - en
SN  - 0214-6282
SN  - 1696-3547
UR  - https://ijdb.ehu.eus/article/11032184
Y2  - 2024/11/05/13:18:03
ER  -