Cytochrome c plays an important role in apoptosis of eukaryotes and yeast, but there are few reports about its role in Dictyostelium discoideum. Western blot and S Fluorescence Quantitative PCR were used to detect the quantity and expression changes of cytochrome c in prestalk cells and prespore cells, in order to reveal the role of cytochrome c in apoptosis of dityostelium prestalk cells. In process of 16-20 h development of apoptotic prestalk cells, the amount of mitochondrial cytochrome c showed a decreasing tendency while the amount of cytoplasmic cytochrome c showed an increasing tendency inversely. Total amount of cytochrome c in prestalk cells was higher than that in prespore cells. Cytochrome c gene expression in prestalk cells was higher than that in prespore cells, and showed an increasing tendency, but cytochrome c gene expression in prespore cell was relatively stable. These results indicate that cytochrome c, to some extent, participates in the apoptosis of Dictyostelium prestalk cells.