CHANGES IN FINE STRUCTURE DURING CELL DIFFERENTIATION OF CELLULAR SLIME MOULD DICTYOSTELIUM DISCOIDEUM

When the bacterial food supply is exhausted the myxamoebae of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum aggregate, forming multicellular structures. After a period of concerted movement the component cells of these structures become either the spore or the stalk cells of the final fruiting body. Electron microscopic examination of sections of cells taken at several stages in this process shows that considerable changes in subcellular organisation occur concomitant with this cell differentiation. Some of the changes can be correlated with changes in enzyme levels measured in cell-free systems. © 1969.