Allen RG, Newton RK, Sohal RS, Shipley GL, Nations C. Alterations in superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and peroxides in the plasmodial slime mold Physarum polycephalum during differentiation.
J Cell Physiol 1985;
125:413-9. [PMID:
4066766 DOI:
10.1002/jcp.1041250308]
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Abstract
Changes in the level of antioxidant defenses and the concentration of free radical by-products were examined in differentiating (M3cVII and LU897 X LU863), non-differentiating (LU887 X LU897), and heterokaryon microplasmodia of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum during spherulation in salts-only medium. As differentiation proceeded, superoxide dismutase activity increased by as much as 46 fold; glutathione concentration and the rate of oxygen consumption decreased; cyanide-resistant respiration, hydrogen peroxide, and organic peroxide concentrations increased. The non-differentiating culture failed to exhibit any of these changes. A heterokaryon obtained by the fusion of differentiating and non-differentiating strains was observed to differentiate at a very retarded rate and to exhibit the changes observed in the spherulating strains at a correspondingly slower rate. These observations suggest that a free radical mechanism may be involved in the differentiation of Physarum microplasmodia into spherules.
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