Lithium respecifies cyclic AMP-induced cell-type specific gene expression in Dictyostelium.
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.
Van Lookeren Campagne
M M
MM
Cell Biology and Genetics Unit, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
Wang
M
M
Spek
W
W
Peters
D
D
Schaap
P
P
D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005800:Genes, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects*; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*
D002712:Chlorides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008094:Lithium; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D018021:Lithium Chloride