No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

We investigated the effect of LiCl on pattern formation and cAMP-regulated gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum. In intact slugs, 5 mM LiCl induces an almost complete redifferentiation of prespore into prestalk cells. We found that LiCl acts by interfering with the transduction of extracellular cAMP to cell-type-specific gene expression; LiCl inhibits the induction of prespore-specific gene expression by cAMP, while it promotes the induction of prestalk-associated gene expression by cAMP. Our results indicate that two divergent pathways transduce the extracellular cAMP signal to, respectively, prestalk and prespore gene expression.

A compilation of literature data and recent experiments led to the following conclusions regarding cyclic adenosine 3':5' monophosphate (cAMP) regulation of gene expression. Several classes of cAMP-induced gene expression can be discriminated by sensitivity to stimulation kinetics. The aggregation-related genes respond only to nanomolar cAMP pulses. The prestalk-related genes respond both to nanomolar pulses and persistent micromolar stimulation. The prespore specific genes respond only to persistent micromolar stimulation. The induction of the aggregation- and prestalk-related genes by nanomolar cAMP pulses may share a common transduction pathway, which does not involve cAMP, while involvement of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)/Ca2+ pathway is unlikely. Induction of the expression of prespore and prestalk-related genes by micromolar cAMP stimuli utilizes divergent signal processing mechanisms. cAMP-induced prespore gene expression does not involve cAMP and probably also not cyclic guanosine 3'.5' monophosphate (cGMP) as intracellular intermediate. Involvement of cAMP-induced phospholipase C (PLC) activation in this pathway is suggested by the observation that IP3 and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) can induce prespore gene expression, albeit in a somewhat indirect manner and by the observation that Li+ and Ca2+ antagonists inhibit prespore gene expression. Cyclic AMP induction of prestalk-related gene expression is inhibited by IP3 and DAG and promoted by Li+, and is relatively insensitive to Ca2+ antagonists, which indicates that PLC activation does not mediate prestalk-related gene expression. Neither prespore nor prestalk-related gene expression utilizes the sustained cAMP-induced pHi increase as intracellular intermediate.

Adenosine promotes the CAMP-induced increase of mRNAs, probed with the cDNAs Dl 1 and D14, which are preferentially expressed in prestalk cells, while it inhibits CAMP-induced prespore gene expression. Half-maximal inhibition of prespore gene expression occurs at about 300 PM, while prestalk stimulation by adenosine occurs at about lOO-fold lower concentrations and requires the presence of CAMP. These results indicate that adenosine interferes with the transduction of CAMP to gene expression and suggest the involvement of two different adenosine target sites. Our data furthermore indicate that the transduction of extracellular CAMP to prespore gene or prestalk gene expression occurs via divergent pathways.

We investigated the effect of Li+ on two types of cyclic AMP-regulated gene expression and on basal and cyclic AMP-stimulated inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) levels. Li+ effectively inhibits cyclic AMP-induced prespore gene expression, half-maximal inhibition occurring at about 2 mM-LiCl. In contrast, Li+ (1–3 mM) promotes the cyclic AMP-induced increase of cysteine proteinase-2 mRNA levels, and induces the expression of this prestalk-associated gene in the absence of cyclic AMP stimuli. At concentrations exceeding 4–5 mM, LiCl inhibits cysteine proteinase-2 gene expression. LiCl reduces basal Ins(1,4,5)P3 levels and decreases the cyclic AMP-induced accumulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3; both effects occur half-maximally at 2–3 mM-LiCl. These results indicate that the induction of the cysteine proteinase-2 gene by Li+ is not due to elevated levels of Ins(1,4,5)P3. It is, however, possible that inhibition of prespore gene expression by Li+ is caused by Li+-induced reduction of basal and/or stimulated Ins(1,4,5)P3 levels.

No abstract