MOLECULAR GENETICS OF SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION IN DICTYOSTELIUM (original) (raw)

Abstract

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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/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.bi.65.070196.002211

1996-07-01

2024-10-10

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