Oscillations and cell development in Dictyostelium discoideum stimulated by folic acid pulses.

Folic acid is known to be a chemoattractant of pre-aggregation cells of Dictyostelium discoideum. When supplied in pulses, folic acid induces biochemical oscillations and stimulates the development of pre-aggregation to aggregation-competent amoebae. The continuous supply of folic acid has no stimulatory effect. Folic-acid-induced oscillations are accompanied by periodic changes in the cyclic AMP concentration. Pulses of folic acid applied with rhythms between 7 and 11 min efficiently induce oscillations. In contrast, a rhythm of 2 min neither induces oscillations nor suppresses them. Cells start to oscillate with a rhythm of about 8 min. This inherent rhythm is independent of the inducing rhythm. Oscillating cells are less sensitive to folic acid than pre-oscillating ones. They respond only to high concentrations of folic acid which also interact with the oscillating system.