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Twisted scroll waves organize Dictyostelium mucoroides slugs
Journal of Cell Science
|August 1, 1997
Summary
Cellular slime molds exhibit distinct migration patterns. Dictyostelium mucoroides slugs display spiral cell movement guided by twisted cAMP waves, resulting in slower migration and corkscrew stalks.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Cellular slime molds (Dictyosteloids) show diverse slug migration strategies.
- Dictyostelium discoideum slugs exhibit stalk-less migration, guided by cAMP scroll waves.
- Dictyostelium mucoroides slugs continuously produce stalks during migration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the natural occurrence of twisted scroll waves in Dictyostelium mucoroides slug migration.
- To analyze single-cell movement patterns within migrating D. mucoroides slugs.
Main Methods:
- Tracking fluorescently labeled single cells in migrating D. mucoroides slugs.
- Comparative analysis of cell movement and slug velocity between D. mucoroides and D. discoideum.
Main Results:
- Single cells in D. mucoroides slugs move in spiral paths within the prespore zone.
- Despite faster individual cell velocity, spiral trajectories lead to reduced net forward movement in D. mucoroides.
- D. mucoroides slugs migrate slower than D. discoideum slugs and leave corkscrew-shaped stalks.
Conclusions:
- Cell movement in D. mucoroides slugs is likely controlled by a propagating twisted scroll wave of cAMP.
- This twisted scroll wave extends throughout the entire slug length, influencing migration and stalk formation.