Developmental regulation of nuclear glycosyl transfer in Cictyostelium discoideum.

Glycosyltransferases are active in isolated cell nuclei of Dictyostelium discoideum. Since the biological role of these nuclear enzymes is unknown we assayed their activity in nuclear fractions from vegetatively growing and differentiating amoebae. The nuclear N-acetylglucosaminyl transfer is highest in the vegetative stage and shortly after induction of differentiation, then declines gradually. This result is discussed with respect to a possible role for glycoproteins and mucopolysaccharides in the structure or in the transcriptional and replicative functions of the genome.