Gα8 null cell distribution in the development of Dictyostelium discoideum

Abstract

Dictyostelium discoideum is both a singular and multicellular organism and is primarily found in soil samples around the world. Dictyostelium is an amoeba widely used in scientific molecular biology and genetics research because of its ability to communicate between cells within the organism to move systematically as a single unit while still maintaining the ability to divide into distinct entities as well as to fuse two self-reliant entities together into a single system when necessary. Scientists use this organism to study everything from signal transduction between the different cells to the genetics of the entire population. This allows Dictyostelium Discoideum to be incredibly flexible and useful in many different types of research; specifically in determining the role of G protein-mediated signaling in the developmental process of Dictyostelium.