mRNA stabilization controls the expression of a class of developmentally regulated genes in Dictyostelium discoideum.

During the development of Dictyostelium discoideum, several thousand new mRNA species appear in the cytoplasm after the cells have formed stable aggregates. Here we show that six of these late mRNAs, corresponding to six clones randomly chosen from a genomic library, are synthesized from the very beginning of development at a rate comparable to that observed late in development but that transcripts do not accumulate until after aggregation. The early- and late-synthesized mRNAs are identical in size and compete with each other for hybridization to the genomic clones.

Regulation of gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum cells exposed to immobilized carbohydrates.

When amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum develop on gels of polyacrylamide that are derivatized with glucosides, they become capable of aggregation at the same time as cells not exposed to glucosides. However, the aggregation centers and streams of adherent cells formed on immobilized glucosides suddenly disintegrate. The cells repeatedly re-aggregate, but never form tight aggregates as they do on other substrata.

Ribosome maturation in E. coli.

In vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that processing of ribosomal RNA is a late event in ribosome biogenesis. The precursor form of RNA is probably necessary to speed up the assembly of ribomal proteins. Newly formed ribosomal particles which have already entered polyribosomes differ from mature ribosomes not only in their RNA content but also in their susceptibility to unfolding in low Mg concentration and to RNase attack.