Cell-cell adhesion and signal transduction during Dictyostelium development

The development of the non-metazoan eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum displays many of the features of animal embryogenesis, including regulated cell-cell adhesion. During early development, two proteins, DdCAD-1 and csA, mediate cell-cell adhesion between amoebae as they form a loosely packed multicellular mass. The mechanism governing this process is similar to epithelial sheet sealing in animals. Although cell differentiation can occur in the absence of cell contact, regulated cell-cell adhesion is an important component of Dictyostelium morphogenesis, and a third adhesion molecule, gp150, is required for multicellular development past the aggregation stage. Cell-cell junctions that appear to be adherens junctions form during the late stages of Dictyostelium development. Although they are not essential to establish the basic multicellular body plan, these junctions are required to maintain the structural integrity of the fruiting body. The Dictyostelium beta-catenin homologue Aardvark (Aar) is present in adherens junctions, which are lost in its absence. As in the case of its metazoan counterparts, Aar also has a function in cell signalling and regulates expression of the pre-spore gene psA. It is becoming clear that cell-cell adhesion is an integral part of Dictyostelium development. As in animals, cell adhesion molecules have a mechanical function and may also interact with the signal-transduction processes governing morphogenesis.