Cell specific activity of trehalose-6-phosphate synthetase during differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum.

Trehalose-6-P synthetase activity was low at the beginning of the life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum, reached maximum activity at 20 h, and decreased at late sorocarp. Enzyme activity in developing spore cells increased 10-fold during differentiation from myxamoebae (0 h) to the culmination stage (20 h) and decreased slightly at sorocarp (24 h). Activity was similar in spore cells at the apex of the stalk. The activities in the stalk cells were dependent upon their position in the developing stalk. There was a decreasing gradient of activity from the apex to the base of the stalk.