Hi Paul,

To add to the debate.  A number of years ago, when we were checking 
the terminal development of ras mutants, we measured Triton X100 
resistant spore cell numbers in filter developed cells.  We routinely 
found that the parental Ax2 cells generated an increase in spores 
relative to the original number of amoebae plated and this increase 
was larger than could be accounted for by a simple division of 
binucleate cells.  Since this was not true for parental Ax3 cell 
lines (there was always a reduction in the number of spores relative 
to the original number), we checked results for NC4 and V12-M2.  Both 
wild type strains exhibited a sizeable increase, as much as 160% of 
the original.  Our conclusion was that in Ax2, NC4 and V12-M2, there 
is a sizeable amount of cell division during development.   Ax3 
develops poorly on filters, in our hands, which might account for the 
low spore numbers, or alternatively cell division does not occur 
during the development of this strain.  This may account for some of 
the reported differences in the literature.  I checked our papers and 
we never published this information, merely expressing spore 
formation in the mutant relative to spore formation in the parental 
strain (e.g. Lim et al, (2001) EMBO Journal. 20:4490-4499 and Jaffer 
et al (2001) 128:907-916).

Gerry


>Hi All,
>
>Is there any evidence that cells are still dividing after they have 
>entered development?  This was suggested to me at the last Dicty 
>meeting, but I haven't found anything to support that idea.
>
>Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Paul
>
>--
>Paul Steimle, PhD
>Associate Professor of Biology
>321 McIver Street
>University of North Carolina at Greensboro
>Greensboro, NC 27402
>336-334-4949


-- 
Dr. Gerry Weeks,
Professor,
Department of Microbiology and Immunology,
University of British Columbia,
1365, Life Sciences Centre
2350, Health Sciences Mall,
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3,
Canada,
Tel  : 604-822-6649
Fax : 604-822-6041