Dictyostelium morphogenesis.

During starvation-induced Dictyostelium development, up to several hundred thousand amoeboid cells aggregate, differentiate and form a fruiting body. The chemotactic movement of the cells is guided by the rising phase of the outward propagating cAMP waves and results in directed periodic movement towards the aggregation centre. In the mound and slug stages of development, cAMP waves continue to play a major role in the coordination of cell movement, cell-type-specific gene expression and morphogenesis; however, in these stages where cells are tightly packed, cell-cell adhesion/contact-dependent signalling mechanisms also play important roles in these processes. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.