Extracellular matrix dynamics and functions in the social amoeba Dictyostelium: A critical review

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic complex of glycoproteins, proteoglycans, carbohydrates, and collagen that serves as an interface between mammalian cells and their extracellular environment. Essential for normal cellular homeostasis, physiology, and events that occur during development, it is also a key functionary in a number of human diseases including cancer. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum secretes an ECM during multicellular development that regulates multicellularity, cell motility, cell differentiation, and morphogenesis, and provides structural support and protective layers to the resulting differentiated cell types. Proteolytic processing within the Dictyostelium ECM leads to specific bioactive factors that regulate cell motility and differentiation.

Here we review the structure and functions of the Dictyostelium ECM and its role in regulating multicellular development. The questions and challenges that remain and how they can be answered are also discussed.

The Dictyostelium ECM shares many of the features of mammalian and plant ECM, and thus presents an excellent system for studying the structure and function of the ECM.

As a genetically tractable model organism, Dictyostelium offers the potential to further elucidate ECM functions, and to possibly reveal previously unknown roles for the ECM.