Suzuki K, Yanagisawa K
Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Differentiation. 1989 Jun;40(3):159-65. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-0436.1989.tb00594.x.
Dictyostelium discoideum was used as a model system for elucidating the molecular mechanism of sexual cell fusion. In heterothallic strains NC4 and HM1 of D. discoideum, complements in mating type, amoeboid cells acquire fusion competence only under certain environmental conditions, such as the presence of excess water and a certain period of darkness, to fuse sexually. The surface of cells which acquired fusion competence was found to possess specific antigens. Monovalent antibodies prepared from rabbit antiserum against fusion-competent NC4 cells inhibit the sexual cell fusion of these cells completely. Two specific antigenic proteins, 39 and 138 k Da in relative molecular mass and specific for fusion-competent cells, were detected. Only one, the 138-k Da protein, was capable of neutralizing the fusion-inhibitory activity of the monovalent antibody. These results show that the 139-k Da protein is the one involved in the sexual cell fusion of NC4 and HM1 strains in D. discoideum.
盘基网柄菌被用作阐明有性细胞融合分子机制的模型系统。在盘基网柄菌的异宗配合菌株NC4和HM1中，交配型互补，变形虫细胞只有在某些环境条件下，如存在过量水分和一定时长的黑暗环境，才能获得融合能力进行有性融合。已发现获得融合能力的细胞表面具有特异性抗原。用兔抗具有融合能力的NC4细胞血清制备的单价抗体可完全抑制这些细胞的有性细胞融合。检测到两种相对分子质量分别为39 kDa和138 kDa的特异性抗原蛋白，它们对具有融合能力的细胞具有特异性。只有一种，即138 kDa的蛋白，能够中和单价抗体的融合抑制活性。这些结果表明，138 kDa的蛋白是参与盘基网柄菌NC4和HM1菌株有性细胞融合的蛋白。
