Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Assessment of Dictyostelium discoideum Response to Acute Mechanical Stimulation
Published on: November 9, 2017
Nhe1 is required for directional sensing in vegetative Dictyostelium cell migration
Uri Han1, Nara Han1, Taeck Joong Jeon1,2
1Department of Integrative Biological Sciences & BK21 FOUR Educational Research Group for Age-associated Disorder Control Technology, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
None:
Na+/H+ exchanger 1 (Nhe1) is a crucial regulator of pH homeostasis and the present study demonstrates that Nhe1 is required for directional sensing in vegetative Dictyostelium cell migration. nhe1 null cells exhibited severe defects in directional sensing and migration in response to folate gradients and applied electric fields.Specifically, nhe1 null cells failed to exhibit proper translocation of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3) to the cell cortex and showed abnormal intracellular calcium signaling upon folate stimulation. Additionally, cells lacking Nhe1 exhibited a reduced capacity to engulf bacteria and latex beads. In contrast, nhe1 null cells in the developed stage displayed a defect in cAMP-directed chemotaxis, but normal translocation kinetics of PIP3 to the cell cortex upon cAMP stimulation.
Related Concept Videos
Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
Cell Migration
Cell Migration
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...

