Abstract
Extracellular cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase accelerates the development of aggregation competence in D. discoideum when present during the preaggregation stage. The effect on development appears to depend only on hydrolysis of extracellular cyclic AMP and not on other properties of the phosphodiesterase molecule. Extracellular cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase, as a promoter of differentiation, acts mainly throughout the 1st half of interphase. Apparently cyclic AMP oscillations control the rate and possibly the initiation of development. Since extracellular cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase acts from the beginning of interphase, cyclic AMP oscillations may also occur from early interphase, at least in the presence of this enzyme. Probably the cyclic AMP oscillator is a determinant, but not a product, of the developmental program.

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