G-Protein-linked Signaling Pathways Mediate Development in Dictyostelium
This extract was created in the absence of an abstract.
Excerpt
cAMP Signaling during Dictyostelium Development
Dictyostelium is a simple model organism for developmental studies. Under conditions of growth, single amoebae comprise a homogeneous population of cells, but when deprived of nutrients, cells aggregate to form a multicellular structure consisting of several different cell types (Fig. 1). Development is first detected when amoebae migrate to central points within a monolayer and form aggregates of many thousands of cells. Cells become tightly adherent within the aggregate to create a mound, upon which a single tip forms. This structure rises, falls over, and forms a migrating pseudoplasmodium or “slug” with the tip forming the anterior end. Slugs are about a millimeter in size and crawl about the surface. This migratory phase, which can be bypassed, is influenced by multiple factors, such as light, temperature, and pH. Culmination results in a sorocarp or fruiting body, which consists of a stalk of dead vacuolated cells...
