Biochemical Responses to Chemically Distinct Chemoattractants During the Growth and Development of Dictyostelium.
Dictyostelium discoideum has proven an excellent model for the study of eukaryotic chemotaxis. During growth in its native environment, Dictyostelium phagocytose bacteria and fungi for primary nutrient capture. Growing Dictyostelium can detect these nutrient sources through chemotaxis toward the metabolic by-product folate. Although Dictyostelium grow as individual cells, nutrient depletion induces a multicellular development program and a separate chemotactic response pathway. During development, Dictyostelium synthesize and secrete cAMP, which serves as a chemoattractant to mobilize and coordinate cells for multicellular formation and development. Separate classes of GPCRs and Gα proteins mediate chemotactic signaling to the chemically distinct ligands. We discuss common and separate component responses of Dictyostelium to folate and cAMP during growth and development, and the advantages and disadvantages for each. As examples, we present biochemical assays to characterize the chemoattractant-induced kinase activations of mTORC2 and the ERKs.
Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
Netra Pal
NP
Meena
Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Building 50, Room 3351, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA. alank@helix.nih.gov.
Alan R
AR
Kimmel
D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000076225:Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008727:Methotrexate; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D005492:Folic Acid; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000076225:Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D008727:Methotrexate
Deamination; ERK; Folate; GPCR; Methotrexate; cAMP; mTORC2