Subcellular Localization of Allantoicase in Dictyostelium discoideum Cells During Differentiation and Apoptosis

Abstract: By means of colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy technique， changes of intracellular allantoicase distribution in Dictyostelium discoideum cells during differentiation and apoptosis were investigated. Our result showed that allantoicase was mainly observed in the mitochondria and the cytoplasm surrounding them during aggregation stage. At mound stage， the allantoicase inside the cells which will form pre-spore cells， was located in the vacuoles inside the mitochondria undergoing endoautophagic apoptosis. As the pre-spore cells differentiating， the allantoicase decreased and occured in new vacuoles near the plasma membrane. While almost all organelles in other cells contained allantoicase， until stalk cell formed. This result showed that the two types of cells which will differentiate into spore cells and stalk cells， have different intracellular location of allantoicase， and suggests the allantoicase relates closely to the regulation of cell differentiation and apoptosis.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2011.08.0007