title: cAMP production by adenylyl cyclase G induces prespore differentiation in Dictyostelium slugs.
abstract: Encystation and sporulation are crucial developmental transitions for solitary and social amoebae, respectively. Whereas little is known of encystation, sporulation requires both extra- and intracellular cAMP. After aggregation of social amoebae, extracellular cAMP binding to surface receptors and intracellular cAMP binding to cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) act together to induce prespore differentiation. Later, a second episode of PKA activation triggers spore maturation. Adenylyl cyclase B (ACB) produces cAMP for maturation, but the cAMP source for prespore induction is unknown. We show that adenylyl cyclase G (ACG) protein is upregulated in prespore tissue after aggregation. acg null mutants show reduced prespore differentiation, which becomes very severe when ACB is also deleted. ACB is normally expressed in prestalk cells, but is upregulated in the prespore region of acg null structures. These data show that ACG induces prespore differentiation in wild-type cells, with ACB capable of partially taking over this function in its absence.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Angus DD1 5EH, UK.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Curto
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saran
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meima
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zobel
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schaap
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009154:Mutation; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D033761:Spores, Protozoan / Q000502:physiology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; C120676:ACB protein, Dictyostelium; C101765:ACG protein, Dictyostelium discoideum; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases