Abstract
In conditions of starvation, the free living amoebae of Dictyostelium enter a developmental program: The cells aggregate by chemotaxis to form a multicellular structure that undergoes morphogenesis and cell-type differentiation. These processes are mediated by a family of cell surface cAMP receptors (cARs) that act on a specific heterotrimeric G protein to stimulate actin polymerization, activation of adenylyl and guanylyl cyclases, and a host of other responses. Most of the components in these pathways have mammalian counterparts. The accessible genetics of this unicellular organism facilitate structure-function analysis and enable the discovery of novel genes involved in the regulation of these important pathways.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 411-440 |
Number of pages | 30 |
Journal | Annual review of biochemistry |
Volume | 65 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1996 |
Keywords
- G protein-coupled receptors
- aggregation
- chemotaxis
- gene expression
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry