Ammonia favors differentiation into:
Ammonia, catabolic byproduct accumulating within slug interior, influences cell fate and timing of culmination. Elevated ammonia increases intracellular cAMP via inhibition of RegA phosphodiesterase, activates PKA, and promotes prespore gene expression while suppressing prestalk vacuolization. Tip region, where ammonia volatilizes, maintains lower concentration permitting prestalk differentiation. In vitro monolayer assays demonstrate ammonium chloride addition favors prespore markers and inhibits ecmB induction. Low ammonia would favor prestalk. Ammonia does not directly drive migration or di
Ref: Cell Reports, Ammonia regulation of Dictyostelium cell fate - prespore promotion and prestalk repression.
