Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Assessment of Dictyostelium discoideum Response to Acute Mechanical Stimulation
Published on: November 9, 2017
Computational modelling suggests dynamic interactions between Ca2+, IP3 and G protein-coupled modules are key to
Najl V Valeyev1, Jung-Su Kim, J S Pat Heslop-Harrison
1Systems Biology Lab, Department of Engineering, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, UK. najl.valeyev@googlemail.com
Abstract:
Under conditions of starvation, Dictyostelium cells begin a programme of development during which they aggregate to form a multicellular structure by chemotaxis, guided by propagating waves of cyclic AMP that are relayed robustly from cell to cell. In this paper, we develop and analyse a new model for the intracellular and extracellular cAMP dependent processes that regulate Dictyostelium migration. The model allows, for the first time, a quantitative analysis of the dynamic interactions between calcium, IP(3) and G protein-dependent modules that are shown to be key to the generation of robust cAMP oscillations in Dictyostelium cells. The model provides a mechanistic explanation for the transient increase in cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration seen in recent experiments with the application of the calmodulin inhibitor calmidazolium (R24571) to Dictyostelium cells, and also allows elucidation of the effects of varying both the conductivity of stretch-activated channels and the concentration of external phosphodiesterase on the oscillatory regime of an individual cell. A rigorous analysis of the robustness of the new model shows that interactions between the different modules significantly reduce the sensitivity of the resulting cAMP oscillations to variations in the kinetics of different Dictyostelium cells, an essential requirement for the generation of the spatially and temporally synchronised chemoattractant cAMP waves that guide Dictyostelium aggregation.
More Related Videos
09:40Imaging G-protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR)-mediated Signaling Events that Control Chemotaxis of Dictyostelium Discoideum
Published on: September 20, 2011
07:48Investigating the Function of Coronin A in the Early Starvation Response of Dictyostelium discoideum by Aggregation Assays
Published on: June 18, 2016
Related Concept Videos
IP3/DAG Signaling Pathway
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity
Two...
Activation and Inactivation of G Proteins