Glycoantigen expression is regulated both temporally and spatially during development in the cellular slime molds Dictyostelium discoideum and D. mucoroides.

Six monoclonal antibodies were isolated which react with common antigens shared by multiple glycoconjugate species in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. Based on competition of antibody binding by glycopeptides and simple sugars, and inhibition of antibody binding by antigen pretreatment with Na periodate, it is argued that at least five of the six antibodies recognize epitopes which contain carbohydrate. These epitopes are consequently referred to as glycoantigens (GAs). Three of the GAs are expressed during growth and throughout the developmental cycle, but are eventually enriched in prestalk and stalk cells. The remaining three are expressed only during and/or after aggregation and are exclusively expressed or highly enriched in prespore cells and spores. These conclusions are derived from Western blot immunoanalysis of purified cell types, immunofluorescence, and EM immunocytochemistry. The two GAs found only in prespore cells appear to be exclusively enclosed within prespore vesicles. The third GA of this type, which is only enriched in prespore cells compared to prestalk cells, is also found in other vesicle types as well as on the cell surface. Two of the GAs enriched in prestalk cells are initially found in all cells of the slug. They are undetectable in spores and prominent in stalk cells. The third GA, though found in the interiors of both prestalk and prespore cells, is enriched on the cell surface of prestalk cells. The chief characteristics of expression of four of these GAs are conserved in the related species D. mucoroides. This species is characterized by continuous transdifferentiation of prespore cells into prestalk cells. This shows that the prespore cells maintain specific mechanisms for turning over their cell type specific GAs and that prestalk cells express a specific mechanism for inducing at least one of their cell-type specific GAs. These observations identify specific carbohydrate structures (as GAs) whose synthesis, subsequent localization and turnover are developmentally regulated. The exclusive association of two GAs with prespore vesicles identifies these GAs as markers for this organelle and raises questions regarding the functional significance of this association. The restricted cell surface localization of the other four GAs, together with data from cell adhesion studies, suggest the possibility of a potential role for these GAs in intercellular recognition leading to cell sorting.