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Updated: Jan 25, 2026
09:40
Imaging G-protein Coupled Receptor GPCR-mediated Signaling Events that Control Chemotaxis of Dictyostelium Discoideum
Published on: September 20, 2011
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Oscillatory cAMP cell-cell signalling persists during multicellular Dictyostelium development
Gail Singer1, Tsuyoshi Araki1,2, Cornelis J Weijer1
11Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH UK.
Communications Biology
|May 3, 2019
Summary
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) waves guide Dictyostelium discoideum cell aggregation and subsequent multicellular development. These signaling waves are crucial for morphogenesis in mounds and slugs.
Area of Science:
- Cellular biology
- Developmental biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) waves initiate chemotactic aggregation in Dictyostelium discoideum.
- Previous studies observed optical density waves in multicellular Dictyostelium stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly measure propagating cAMP waves in Dictyostelium discoideum multicellular structures.
- To investigate the role of cAMP waves in Dictyostelium morphogenesis beyond initial aggregation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a highly sensitive cAMP-FRET reporter.
- Observed cAMP wave propagation in Dictyostelium mounds and slugs.
Main Results:
- Directly measured periodic cAMP waves propagating within Dictyostelium slugs, originating from the tip and moving posteriorly.
- Observed altered cAMP signaling dynamics in developmental mutants, confirming the functional importance of cAMP waves.
- Demonstrated that cAMP waves guide cell movement during mound and slug morphogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Propagating cAMP waves are essential for Dictyostelium morphogenesis at the mound and slug stages.
- cAMP waves serve as a long-range cell-cell communication mechanism throughout Dictyostelium multicellular development.
- The findings highlight the continuous role of cAMP signaling in guiding cell behavior from aggregation to later developmental stages.
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