Abstract: |
Dictyostelium discoideum is one of only ten non-mammalian model organisms for biomedical research officially supported by the NIH. Above all this has to do with Dictyostelium being a genetically very tractable organism in general, but particularly in terms of cell migration, signalling to the actin cytoskeleton is remarkably conserved between Dictyostelium and mammalian leukocytes. Furthermore, few other organisms have been studied so extensively regarding theoretical aspects of cell migration. I will review the biology of signalling to the actin cytoskeleton in Dictyostelium, highlighting the role of self-organisation and excitability of the actin system in the formation of functional dynamic structures in the absence of external signals. I will conclude with recent work on image-based modelling of cell reorientation and blebbing. Related Links
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/systemsbiology/staff/bretschneider/publications/ - Publications Bretschneider
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