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Targeted disruption of genes for gp138, a cell-fusion-related protein in Dictyostelium discoideum, revealed the existence of a third gene.

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Use of Galleria mellonella as a Model Organism to Study Legionella pneumophila Infection
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Published on: November 22, 2013

The cellular slime mold: eukaryotic model microorganism.

Hideko Urushihara1

  • 1Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.

Experimental Animals
|May 19, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Cellular slime molds, like Dictyostelium discoideum, are soil microbes that form multicellular structures. They serve as valuable models for studying cell differentiation and human disease genes.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Microbiology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Cellular slime molds are soil-dwelling eukaryotic microorganisms.
  • They exhibit solitary amoeboid feeding and conditional multicellular development.
  • This life cycle involves complex processes like cell differentiation and morphogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the utility of cellular slime molds, particularly Dictyostelium discoideum, as model organisms.
  • To emphasize their suitability for studying fundamental biological processes.
  • To underscore their potential in biomedical research.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing Dictyostelium discoideum, a well-established model organism.
  • Leveraging its amenability to molecular biological techniques.

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  • Accessing publicly available genomic and cDNA data.

    • Main Results:

    • Dictyostelium discoideum facilitates research on phagocytosis, cell division, chemotaxis, and intercellular communication.
    • The organism possesses numerous orthologues of human disease-related genes.
    • It can be infected by pathogenic bacteria, offering a biomedical research model.

    Conclusions:

    • Cellular slime molds, especially Dictyostelium discoideum, are powerful models for fundamental biology and disease research.
    • Extensive genomic data and resources are available for Dictyostelium.
    • This organism provides a unique platform for investigating human disease mechanisms and microbial pathogenesis.