Selection for spiral waves in the social amoebae Dictyostelium

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.25.13719
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T14:35:50Z
• Authors: Eiríkur Pálsson; Kyoung J. Lee; Raymond E. Goldstein; Jakob Franke; Richard H. Kessin; Edward C. Cox
• Keywords: Mycetozoa

Starving Dictyostelium amoebae emit pulses of the chemoattractant cAMP that are relayed from cell to as circular and spiral waves. We have recently modeled wave formation in . Our model suggests a secreted protein inhibitor an extracellular phosphodiesterase selects for spirals. Herein we test essential features this prediction by comparing propagation wild type mutants. find mutants rarely form The territory size mutant strains is approximately 50 times smaller than type, mature fruiting bodies but otherwise normal. These results identify mechanism selecting one symmetry over another excitable system suggest may be under selection because it helps regulate size.