Regulation of synthesis of cell-specific ribosomal proteins during differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum

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Abstract
Proteins of ribosomes from various stages of development in D. discoideum were analyzed by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Significant changes in protein composition were observed; cell differentiation in a eukaryotic system is accompanied by ribosome heterogeneity. Both qualitative and quantitative differences were noted for 12 unique ribosomal proteins between the vegetative amoebae and spores (differentiated cells). Two proteins were specific to ribosomes of amoebae and 3 were specific to spores. The others were common to both cells but showed characteristic stoichiometric changes. The appearance and quantitative changes of these proteins were associated with specific stages of cell differentiation and were evident only during the aggregation phase; further changes continued through construction of fruiting bodies. As functional mRNA for all 12 proteins were present in both amoebae and spores, both transcriptional and translational mechanisms apparently regulate the synthesis of the various developmentally controlled ribosomal proteins in the 2 cell types.