Figure 3.

The development and complementation of limB cells. (A) The terminal developmental phenotype of the recapitulated limB null strain and strains expressing LIM2 from the ecmAO prestalk-specific and SP60/cotC prespore-specific promoter. Expression of LIM2 in prestalk cells leads to fruiting body production. (B) Cells labeled with the vital fluorescent dye Mitotracker Green were mixed with unlabeled cells and allowed to develop to the slug stage. The white arrowheads indicate the anterior, prestalk region in the anterior of each slug. Panel a shows labeled wild-type KAx-3 mixed 1:3 with unlabeled KAx-3 and indicates uniform staining throughout the slug. Panel b shows the staining pattern of a slug composed of 1:3 labeled limB null cells mixed with unlabeled KAx-3. Only the posterior, prespore region contains stained cells. In panel c, one part limB null cells expressing ecmA/LIM2 was mixed with three parts unlabeled KAx-3 cells. The slug has strong staining in the anterior prestalk region, but only faint staining in the prespore region, which may be anterior-like cells.