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The ethylene action in the development of cellular slime molds: an analogy to higher plants

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Summary

The cellular slime moldDictyostelium mucoroides-7 (Dm 7) and its mutant (MF 1) exhibit sexual or asexual development depending upon culture conditions. During the sexual cycle macrocyst formation occurs, whereas sorocarps containing spores and stalk cells are asexually formed. As previously reported, the macrocyst formation is marked by the emergence of true zygotes, and is induced by a potent plant hormone, ethylene. The concentration of ethylene required for macrocyst induction was determined to establish the similarity of ethylene action between this organism and higher plants. Macrocysts are induced by low (1 μl/l) exogenous concentrations of ethylene. Higher concentrations (10–1,000 ul/l) also gave essentially the same inductive activity. Ethionine, an analogue of methionine, was found to inhibit zygote formation during sexual development through its interference with ethylene production by Dm 7 and MF 1 cells. In fact, the inhibitory effect of ethionine was mostly nullified by the application of ethylene, S-adenosyl-L-methionine, or 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. Taken together these results suggest that both the effective concentration of ethylene and the pathway of ethylene biosynthesis inD. mucoroides may be similar to those in higher plants. Ethylene was also found to be produced in various species and strains of cellular slime molds, even during the asexual process. The possible functions of ethylene in the asexual development are discussed in relation to cell aggregation and differentiation.

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Abbreviations

SAM:

S-adenosyl-L-methionine

ACC:

1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid

AOA:

(aminooxy) acetic acid

BSS:

Bonner's salt solution

DAPI:

4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Institute, Faculty of Science, Tohoku University, Aoba, 980, Sendai, Japan

    A. Amagai & Y. Maeda

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  1. A. Amagai
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  2. Y. Maeda
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Amagai, A., Maeda, Y. The ethylene action in the development of cellular slime molds: an analogy to higher plants. Protoplasma 167, 159–168 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01403379

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01403379

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