Pure populations of Dictyostelium discoideum prespore and prestalk cells obtained by flow cytometry have different redevelopment characteristics at their cell surfaces.

The multicellular slug stage of Dictyostelium discoideum consists of two major differentiated cell types: prespore and prestalk cells, which become, respectively, the spores and the stalk of the fruiting body. It is known that these cells, although expressing cell-type-specific proteins, remain totipotent, and experimental disruption of slugs results in redifferentiation taking place. We looked at what happens to cell-type-specific surface molecules when a cell changes from one type of another. Using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry we were able for the first time to obtain pure populations of single cells of each cell type. These were analysed during redevelopment. The initial hypothesis was that a proportion of each cell type would redifferentiate to reestablish the original proportions. However, it was found that the two cell types responded quite differently. Whereas almost all prestalk cells retained their prestalk surface antigen, in contrast, all prespore cells redifferentiated. During this process redifferentiating prespore cells simultaneously expressed surface determinants of both cell types, an event not seen in normal development.