Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Investigating the Function of Coronin A in the Early Starvation Response of Dictyostelium discoideum by Aggregation Assays
07:48

Investigating the Function of Coronin A in the Early Starvation Response of Dictyostelium discoideum by Aggregation Assays

Published on: June 18, 2016

Synthesis and stability of developmentally regulated dictyostelium mRNAs are affected by cell--cell contact and cAMP

S Chung, S M Landfear, D D Blumberg

    Cell
    |June 1, 1981
    PubMed

    Insights

    Cell-cell contact and cAMP signaling regulate gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum. cAMP stimulates the synthesis and stability of aggregation-specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs) following cell-cell contact.

    Area of Science:

    • Cellular and Molecular Biology
    • Developmental Biology
    • Biochemistry

    Background:

    • Dictyostelium discoideum undergoes developmental changes involving cell aggregation.
    • Specific mRNA populations are regulated during this developmental transition.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the role of cell-cell contact and cAMP in regulating aggregation-dependent mRNA synthesis and stability.
    • To quantify the changes in specific mRNA levels during Dictyostelium discoideum development.

    Main Methods:

    • Quantification of mRNA using in vitro translation with 2D gel electrophoresis.
    • RNA hybridization techniques with cloned DNA and specific cDNA probes.
    • Measurement of mRNA half-life under different cellular conditions.

    Main Results:

    • Postaggregation cells contain 3000 unique mRNA species, representing 30% of total mRNA mass.
    • Disaggregation leads to rapid degradation of aggregation-dependent mRNAs (half-life 25-45 min).
    • cAMP addition restores most late mRNA levels within 3 hours in previously aggregated cells.

    Conclusions:

    • Cell-cell contact is essential for cAMP-mediated regulation of aggregation-dependent mRNAs.
    • cAMP stimulates both the synthesis and potentially the cytoplasmic stability of these mRNAs.
    • These findings elucidate key molecular mechanisms governing Dictyostelium development.

    More Related Videos

    Studying the Protein Quality Control System of D. discoideum Using Temperature-controlled Live Cell Imaging06:09

    Studying the Protein Quality Control System of D. discoideum Using Temperature-controlled Live Cell Imaging

    Published on: December 2, 2016

    Genetic Engineering of Dictyostelium discoideum Cells Based on Selection and Growth on Bacteria06:08

    Genetic Engineering of Dictyostelium discoideum Cells Based on Selection and Growth on Bacteria

    Published on: January 25, 2019

    Related Concept Videos

    Positive Regulator Molecules01:45

    Positive Regulator Molecules

    To consistently produce healthy cells, the cell cycle—the process that generates daughter cells—must be precisely regulated.
    Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

    Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

    Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
    Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
    Positive Regulator Molecules02:39

    Positive Regulator Molecules

    Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.
    Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

    Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

    Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
    Microtubule Instability02:17

    Microtubule Instability

    Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated assembly and...
    Stringent Response in E. coli01:23

    Stringent Response in E. coli

    Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...