Studies on the roles of the various differentiation inducing factors (DIFS) in Dictyostelium discoideum

The effects of stalk cell differentiation inducing factor (DIF) on stalk cell induction from vegetative cells and prestalk cells of Dictyostelium discoideum were investigated. It was found that the major DIF component DIF-1 is a poor inducer of stalk cell formation from prestalk cells, but a minor component, DIF-2 is a more important inducer for the conversion of prestalk to stalk cells. Evidence is presented that DIF-2 synergizes the activity of the other DIF components for prestalk to stalk cell conversion. In contrast DIF-5 inhibits the activity of DIF-1 and DIF-3/4. A model is proposed to explain those results.Science, Faculty ofMicrobiology and Immunology, Department ofGraduat