Phagocytosis and Exocytosis by Differentiating Dictyostelium discoideum Cells

概要

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While vegetative cells of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum engage in active phagocytosis, cells isolated from migrating slugs of this organism were found to be almost lacking in this activity. However, when incubated under sparsely populated conditions, these cells regained the phagocytic ability as they lost prespore specific antigen and dedifferentiated. Changes in phagocytic activity during the development were quantitatively examined. After cessation of feeding, phagocytic activity of cells first increased but shortly afterward decreased rapidly, together with the initiation of aggregation. The loss of phagocytic ability of a cell was accompanied by a change in cell shape from an isodiametric to an elongate form, as the cell became aggregation competent. During such a transition, polystyrene beads which had been ingested and retained by the cell were exocytized.
日本植物生理学会の論文