Constitutive overexpression of a GPI-anchored cell adhesion molecule in Dictyostelium discoideum cells.

gp80 is the best characterized cell adhesion molecule of Dictyostelium discoideum. It has a glycolipid anchor that, although it shows resistance to exogenous GPI-PLC, is sensitive to an endogenous hydrolyzing activity. Preliminary data suggest that acylation on the inositol ring is not the basis for this resistance. In order to investigate the features of glycolipid anchoring during Dictyostelium development we have obtained stable transformants that overexpress gp80 during its whole life cycle.