A Maltose-binding-protein-like Peptide Accumulates after Mixing Two Types of Sexually Competent Cells of a Cellular Slime Mold, Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract

Sexually competent cells of a cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum strain NC4, were mixed with fusion-competent cells of either HM1, or WS2162, and mixed cell suspensions were incubated with rotation in the dark. Cells 30min after mixing NC4 and SW2162 contained giant cells and smaller cells. Mitochondria of giant cells were charastenstically distributed to the cell periphery. This trend was more evident in giant cells as nucleus number increased in a cell. At 24hr after mixing, blue fluorescences from cell wall, and dark brown fluorescence in the center of and around squashed structures were eminent, while both fluorescences were not detected in 30min cell. Western blot analysis using rabbit polyclonal antibody against bacterial maltose-binding protein detected a major 40 kD and a minor 43 kD peptides in total protein from cells at 24 and 66 hr after mixing NC4 and HN1 cells, while these bands were not detected in two types of gametes before mixing and cells 30min after mixing.