Induction by folate and folate analogs of extracellular and membrane-bound phosphodiesterase from Dictyostelium discoideum.

Folate stimulation is known to enhance Dictyostelium discoideum differentiation. During early differentiation, D. discoideum cells possess two classes of folate receptors which can be distinguished by their difference in specificity (R. J. W. de Wit, FEBS Lett. 150, 445-448, 1982). We investigated the type of receptor by which folate affects cell differentiation. Two independently regulated developmental markers were used: the extracellular phosphodiesterase-inhibitor system and cell-surface phosphodiesterase activity. Our results indicate that the major effect of folate on development is mediated by the folate-specific receptor. The nonspecific folate receptor was only involved in a minor, transient enhancement of the extracellular phosphodiesterase activity very early in development.