title: Calcium stores in differentiated Dictyostelium discoideum: prespore cells sequester calcium more efficiently than prestalk cells.
abstract: Dictyostelium discoideum pseudoplasmodia exhibit a gradient of the cytosolic free Ca2+-concentration ([Ca2+]i) along their anterior-posterior axis involved in cell-type specific differentiation. [Ca2+]i is high in prestalk and low in prespore cells. We determined the content and localization of calcium and other elements in cryosectioned cells of pseudoplasmodia and fruiting bodies by X-ray microanalysis. Granular stores rich in Ca, Mg and P were identified. Average Ca was higher in prespore than prestalk granules (225vs 111 mmol/kg dry weight). Total Ca stored in granules was also higher in prespore than prestalk cells. The amount of P and S in granules differed between the two cell types indicating different store composition. In spores mean granular Ca was 120 mmol/kg dry weight. Stalk cells had smaller granules with 360 mmol Ca/kg dry weight. Complementary to microanalysis, vesicular Ca2+-fluxes were studied in fractionated cell homogenates. The rate of Ca2+-uptake was higher in pellet fractions of prespore than prestalk amoebae (4.7 vs 3.4 nmol/min x mg). Ca2+-release was greater in supernatant fractions from prestalk than prespore cells (16.5vs 7.7 nmol/10(8)cells). In summary, prestalk and prespore cells possess qualitatively different, high-capacity stores containing distinct amounts of Ca and probably being involved in regulation of the anterior-posterior [Ca2+]i-gradient.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. Christina.Schlatterer@uni-konstanz.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schlatterer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mendgen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zierold
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Knoll
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium