Molecular genetics of signal transduction in Dictyostelium.
In conditions of starvation, the free living amoebae of Dictyostelium enter a developmental program: The cells aggregate by chemotaxis to form a multicellular structure that undergoes morphogenesis and cell-type differentiation. These processes are mediated by a family of cell surface cAMP receptors (cARs) that act on a specific heterotrimeric G protein to stimulate actin polymerization, activation of adenylyl and guanylyl cyclases, and a host of other responses. Most of the components in these pathways have mammalian counterparts. The accessible genetics of this unicellular organism facilitate structure-function analysis and enable the discovery of novel genes involved in the regulation of these important pathways.
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Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
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D000818:Animals; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010641:Phenotype; D011953:Receptors, Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*
D011953:Receptors, Cyclic AMP; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins