Abstract.
Cell-cell adhesion is a critical property of all multi-cellular organisms and its correct regulation is critical during development, differentiation, tissue building and maintenance, and many immune responses. The multi-talin-like FERM domain containing protein, FrmA, is required during starvation-induced multi-cellular development of Dictyostelium cells. Loss of FrmA leads to increased cell-cell adhesion and results in impaired multi-cellular development, slug migration and fruiting bodies. Further, mixing experiments show that FrmA null cells are excluded from the apex of wild-type mounds, to which cells that normally form the organising centre known as the tip sort. These data suggest a critical role for FrmA in regulating cell-cell adhesion, multi-cellular development and, in particular, the formation of the organising centre known as the tip.
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Received 28 August 2008; received after revision 10 October 2008; accepted 21 October 2008
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Patel, H., Brunton, V.G. Loss of FrmA leads to increased cell-cell adhesion and impaired multi-cellular development of Dictyostelium cells. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 66, 145 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-008-8527-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-008-8527-y