title: The effect of AMP on the NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase during activation and morphogenesis in the cellular slime moulds.
abstract: In extracts from vegetative Dictyostelium discoideum V12 the basal NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH) activity was low, but it increased on standing at 4 degrees C. When 0.1 mM-AMP was included in the assay mix, enzyme activity was stimulated nearly 30-fold. As the extract was allowed to age, the enzyme rapidly lost its ability to be stimulated by AMP. The response of NAD-GDH to AMP was also dependent on the stage of morphogenesis. The ratios of NAD-GDH activity assayed with and without AMP (+AMP/-AMP ratios) in freshly prepared extracts from cells at 0, 4, 8 and 12 h of development were similar, but declined later in morphogenesis. The +AMP/-AMP ratio decreased sharply during activation at 4 degrees C in extracts from cells at 0, 4, 16 and 20 h of development. By contrast, extracts from cells starved for 8 and 12 h remained more responsive to AMP throughout activation. Analysis of Western blots showed that vegetative NAD-GDH did not undergo any detectable proteolytic cleavage during 96 h of activation at 4 degrees C. Also, no change in molecular mass appeared to take place within the cells until culmination (20-24 h), when some breakdown products appeared. Activation of NAD-GDH also occurred in D. discoideum strains NC4 and AX3, and in D. mucoroides. In addition, the enzyme from these four strains was stimulated by AMP and the +AMP/-AMP ratio declined with similar kinetics during activation. The enzyme from Polysphondylium violaceum was not activated on standing, but it was stimulated by AMP. The effect of activation of NAD-GDH is discussed in relation to a postulated catabolic role for this enzyme.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pamula
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wheldrake
mesh_terms: D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development*; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009243:NAD; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase