The determination of spatial pattern inDictyostelium discoideum

Interplay of mesoscale physics and agent-like behaviors in the parallel evolution of aggregative multicellularity

Myxobacteria and dictyostelids are prokaryotic and eukaryotic multicellular lineages, respectively, that after nutrient depletion aggregate and develop into structures called fruiting bodies. The developmental processes and resulting morphological outcomes resemble one another to a remarkable extent despite their independent origins, the evolutionary distance between them and the lack of traceable homology in molecular mechanisms. We hypothesize that the morphological parallelism between the two lineages arises as the consequence of the interplay within multicellular aggregates between generic processes, physical and physicochemical processes operating similarly in living and non-living matter at the mesoscale (~10^-3-10^-1 m) and agent-like behaviors, unique to living systems and characteristic of the constituent cells, considered as autonomous entities acting according to internal rules in a shared environment. Here, we analyze the contributions of generic and agent-like determinants in myxobacteria and dictyostelid development and their roles in the generation of their common traits. Consequent to aggregation, collective cell-cell contacts mediate the emergence of liquid-like properties, making nascent multicellular masses subject to novel patterning and morphogenetic processes. In both lineages, this leads to behaviors such as streaming, rippling, and rounding-up, as seen in non-living fluids. Later the aggregates solidify, leading them to exhibit additional generic properties and motifs. Computational models suggest that the morphological phenotypes of the multicellular masses deviate from the predictions of generic physics due to the contribution of agent-like behaviors of cells such as directed migration, quiescence, and oscillatory signal transduction mediated by responses to external cues. These employ signaling mechanisms that reflect the evolutionary histories of the respective organisms. We propose that the similar developmental trajectories of myxobacteria and dictyostelids are more due to shared generic physical processes in coordination with analogous agent-type behaviors than to convergent evolution under parallel selection regimes. Insights from the biology of these aggregative forms may enable a unified understanding of developmental evolution, including that of animals and plants.

Cell pelotons: A model of early evolutionary cell sorting, with application to slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum

A theoretical model is presented for early evolutionary cell sorting within cellular aggregates. The model involves an energy-saving mechanism and principles of collective self-organization analogous to those observed in bicycle pelotons (groups of cyclists). The theoretical framework is applied to slime-mold slugs (Dictyostelium discoideum) and incorporated into a computer simulation which demonstrates principally the sorting of cells between the anterior and posterior slug regions. The simulation relies on an existing simulation of bicycle peloton dynamics which is modified to incorporate a limited range of cell metabolic capacities among heterogeneous cells, along with a tunable energy-expenditure parameter, referred to as an "output-level" or "starvation-level" to reflect diminishing energetic supply. Proto-cellular dynamics are modeled for three output phases: "active", "suffering", and "dying or dead." Adjusting the starvation parameter causes cell differentiation and sorting into sub-groups within the cellular aggregate. Tuning of the starvation parameter demonstrates how weak or expired cells shuffle backward within the cellular aggregate.

Modelling cell movement, cell differentiation, cell sorting and proportion regulation in Dictyostelium discoideum aggregations

Understanding the mechanisms that control tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis is a central goal not only in developmental biology but also has great relevance for our understanding of various diseases, including cancer. A model organism that is widely used to study the control of tissue morphogenesis and proportioning is the Dictyostelium discoideum. While there are mathematical models describing the role of chemotactic cell motility in the Dictyostelium assembly and morphogenesis of multicellular tissues, as well as models addressing possible mechanisms of proportion regulation, there are no models incorporating both these key aspects of development. In this paper, we introduce a 1D hyperbolic model to investigate the role of two morphogens, DIF and cAMP, on cell movement, cell sorting, cell-type differentiation and proportioning in Dictyostelium discoideum. First, we use the non-spatial version of the model to study cell-type transdifferentiation. We perform a steady-state analysis of it and show that, depending on the shape of the differentiation rate functions, multiple steady-state solutions may occur. Then we incorporate spatial dynamics into the model, and investigate the transdifferentiation and spatial positioning of cells inside the newly formed structures, following the removal of prestalk or prespore regions of a Dictyostelium slug. We show that in isolated prespore fragments, a tipped mound-like aggregate can be formed after a transdifferentiation from prespore to prestalk cells and following the sorting of prestalk cells to the centre of the aggregate. For isolated prestalk fragments, we show the formation of a slug-like structure containing the usual anterior-posterior pattern of prestalk and prespore cells.

Interspecies and intraspecies interactions in social amoebae

The stable co-existence of individuals of different genotypes and reproductive division of labour within heterogeneous groups are issues of fundamental interest from the viewpoint of evolution. Cellular slime moulds are convenient organisms in which to address both issues. Strains of a species co-occur, as do different species; social groups are often genetically heterogeneous. Intra- and interspecies 1 : 1 mixes of wild isolates of Dictyostelium giganteum and D. purpureum form chimaeric aggregates, following which they segregate to varying extents. Intraspecies aggregates develop in concert and give rise to chimaeric fruiting bodies that usually contain more spores (reproductives) of one component than the other. Reproductive skew and variance in the proportion of reproductives are positively correlated. Interspecies aggregates exhibit almost complete sorting; most spores in a fruiting body come from a single species. Between strains, somatic compatibility correlates weakly with sexual compatibility. It is highest within clones, lower between strains of a species and lowest between strains of different species. Trade-offs among fitness-related traits (between compatible strains), sorting out (between incompatible strains) and avoidance (between species) appear to lie behind coexistence.

Genetic heterogeneity in wild isolates of cellular slime mold social groups

This study addresses the issues of spatial distribution, dispersal, and genetic heterogeneity in social groups of the cellular slime molds (CSMs). The CSMs are soil amoebae with an unusual life cycle that consists of alternating solitary and social phases. Because the social phase involves division of labor with what appears to be an extreme form of "altruism", the CSMs raise interesting evolutionary questions regarding the origin and maintenance of sociality. Knowledge of the genetic structure of social groups in the wild is necessary for answering these questions. We confirm that CSMs are widespread in undisturbed forest soil from South India. They are dispersed over long distances via the dung of a variety of large mammals. Consistent with this mode of dispersal, most social groups in the two species examined for detailed study, Dictyostelium giganteum and Dictyostelium purpureum, are multi-clonal.

Trishanku, a novel regulator of cell-type stability and morphogenesis in Dictyostelium discoideum

We have identified a novel gene, trishanku (triA), by random insertional mutagenesis of Dictyostelium discoideum. TriA is a Broad complex Tramtrack bric-a-brac domain-containing protein that is expressed strongly during the late G2 phase of cell cycle and in presumptive spore (prespore (psp)) cells. Disrupting triA destabilizes cell fate and reduces aggregate size; the fruiting body has a thick stalk, a lowered spore: stalk ratio, a sub-terminal spore mass and small, rounded spores. These changes revert when the wild-type triA gene is re-expressed under a constitutive or a psp-specific promoter. By using short- and long-lived reporter proteins, we show that in triA(-) slugs the prestalk (pst)/psp proportion is normal, but that there is inappropriate transdifferentiation between the two cell types. During culmination, regardless of their current fate, all cells with a history of pst gene expression contribute to the stalk, which could account for the altered cell-type proportion in the mutant.

Dissection of the cAMP induced cytosolic calcium response in Dictyostelium discoideum: the role of cAMP receptor subtypes and G protein subunits

The cAMP signaling cascade leading to changes in [Ca2+]i in Dictyostelium discoideum was analyzed using cell lines overexpressing single cAMP receptor subtypes (cAR1-cAR3) or lacking the G(alpha2) or G(beta) subunit of the G protein. Imaging of fura2-dextran-loaded amoebae revealed cAMP-induced [Ca2+]i changes characteristic for each receptor subtype activated. Cells expressing distinct subtypes sort to defined zones during multicellular development suggesting involvement of the specific [Ca2+]i transients in patterning processes. Whereas generation of the [Ca2+]i increase was G(alpha2)-independent, only few cells devoid of G(beta) displayed a [Ca2+]i change after stimulation indicating its participation in the regulation of the calcium homeostasis.

A way of following individual cells in the migrating slugs of Dictyostelium discoideum

In the development of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum there is a stage in which the aggregated amoebae form a migrating slug that moves forward in a polar fashion, showing sensitive orientation to environmental cues, as well as early signs of differentiation into anterior prestalk and posterior prespore cells. Heretofore it has been difficult to follow the movement of the individual cells within the slug, but a new method is described in which small, flat (one cell thick) slugs are produced in a glass-mineral oil interface where one can follow the movement of all the cells. Observations of time-lapse videos reveal the following facts about slug migration: (i) While the posterior cells move straight forward, the anterior cells swirl about rapidly in a chaotic fashion. (ii) Turning involves shifting the high point of these hyperactive cells. (iii) Both the anterior and the posterior cells move forward on their own power as the slug moves forward. (iv) There are no visible regular oscillations within the slug. (v) The number of prestalk and prespore cells is proportional for a range of sizes of these mini-slugs. All of these observations on thin slugs are consistent with what one finds in normal, three-dimensional slugs.

Factors controlling prespore cell differentiation in Dictyostelium discoideum: minute amounts of differentiation-inducing factor promote prespore cell differentiation

Amoebae of strain V12M2 differentiate efficiently into prespore cells without cell contact in a salt solution containing cAMP, if the pH of the medium is maintained suitably acidic using a restricted buffer [31]. Under such conditions, most cells differentiate into prespore cells at pH 5.2. Using this developmental system, the elements controlling prespore-cell differentiation were analyzed. First, the dependence on cell density was examined. At a very low density (10(2) cells/cm2), most cells did not differentiate. As the density was increased the proportion of prespore cells differentiating increased, reaching a maximum at 5 x 10(3) cells/cm2. Conditioned medium could mimic the effects of cell density on cell differentiation. These findings suggest the presence of factor(s) released into the medium which are involved in inducing prespore-cell differentiation. The conditioned medium was found to contain at least two prespore-inducing components; one is a novel factor(s) and the other is DIF, which has previous only been considered to repress prespore-cell differentiation. These findings were supported by experiments using a DIF-deficient mutant, HM44.

The ‘prespore-like cells’ of Dictyostelium have ceased to express a prespore gene: analysis using short-lived beta-galactosidases as reporters

In transgenic strains of Dictyostelium discoideum that express beta-galactosidase under the control of a prespore-specific promoter, only early slugs show reporter confined to the prespore zone. As slugs migrate beta-galactosidase-positive cells accumulate in the prestalk zone; ultimately, there may be so many that the prestalk-prespore boundary is no longer distinguishable (Harwood, A., Early, A., Jermyn, K. and Williams, J. (1991) Differentiation 46, 7–13). It is not clear whether these ‘anomalous’ reporter-positive cells currently express prespore genes; another possibility is that they are ex-prespore cells that have transformed to prestalk and sorted to the prestalk zone (Sternfeld, J. (1993) Roux Archiv. Dev. Biol. 201, 354–363), while retaining their previously produced reporter. To test the activity of the prespore genes in these cells, we have made prespore reporter constructs whose products decay quickly; these are based on constructs used to investigate protein turnover in yeast (Bachmair, A., Finley, D. and Varshavsky, A. (1986) Science 234, 179–186). In strains bearing such constructs, beta-galactosidase-positive cells do not appear in the prestalk zone. The apparent deterioration of the prestalk/prespore pattern in older slugs is thus an artefact of reporter stability.

The level of sequestered calcium in vegetative amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum can predict post-aggregative cell fate

When freshly starved amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum are stained with chlortetracycline (CTC), a cell type-specific fluorescent probe for membrane-associated calcium (CA2+) the resulting fluorescence distribution falls into two functional classes. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting shows that highly fluorescing amoebae tend to enter the prestalk pathway while those with low fluorescence tend to become prespores. In the light of previous findings, these results indicate that in addition to cell cycle phase at starvation, phenotypic variation in the level of sequestered calcium is an early correlate of cell fate.

Challenge with high concentrations of cyclic AMP induces transient changes in the cytosolic free calcium concentration in Dictyostelium discoideum

Dictyostelium discoideum cells use cyclic AMP (cAMP) for chemotactic signaling as well as for differentiation. The precise regulation of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) seems to play a key role for both processes. We performed single cell measurements of [Ca2+]i in amoebae that were starved in suspension for various times and scrape-loaded with the Ca2+ indicator fura-2. Stimulation of cells with cAMP at the concentration required to induce gene expression (> or = 100 microM) elicited a global transient increase in [Ca2+]i that depended on the presence of external Ca2+. Both vegetative and aggregation-competent cells displayed a rise in [Ca2+]i, with aggregation-competent cells responding more often than vegetative cells. Basal [Ca2+]i in the presence of Ca2+ was high in vegetative cells and declined during development; the cAMP-induced rise in [Ca2+]i was higher and lasted longer in vegetative cells than in aggregative cells. The addition of 2′-deoxy-cAMP, which binds to the cAMP receptor, induced an increase in [Ca2+]i, whereas the membrane-permeant analogue 8-bromo-cAMP that has a low affinity for the receptor but activates cAMP-dependent protein kinase had no effect. This indicates that the change in [Ca2+]i is mediated by the cell surface cAMP receptor. Since HC85 mutant cells, which lack the G alpha 2 subunit of the G-protein that couples the receptor to phospholipase C, also responded to stimulation with cAMP, the Ca2+ influx does not seem to be triggered by the phosphoinositide signaling cascade.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)