An Investigation of the Interaction between Dictyostelium discoideum and Flavobacterium johnsoniae
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Abstract
Dictyostelium discoideum is a social amoeba within the phylum Myxomycophyta. It is very interesting from a scientific point of view because it represents the bridge between single and multicellular organisms. D.discoideum cells are mostly found in soil and feed on bacteria. When the cells are depleted of a bacterial food source, they will join with other adjacent cells to form fruiting bodies containing spores which help them increase their rate of survival during starvation. The capability of D. discoideum cells to select between unicellular and multicellular life forms makes them an interesting model for the study of cell-to-cell interactions and development. It is known that D. discoideum cells take up bacteria into a sorus (a cluster of spore-producing receptacles) via phagocytosis during fruiting body formation which they use as a food source upon germination. A bacterium known to be present in the same habitat as D. discoideum is Flavobacterium johnsoniae, which exhibits gliding motility and is a research focus in Dr. Rhodes’ laboratory. Proteins required for F. johnsoniae motility have been identified,including GldA, -B, -D, -F, -G, -H, -I, -J, -K, -L and –M [1]. Disruption of the gene encoding any of these eleven proteins results in a complete loss of motility. Recent work has demonstrated that some wild D. discoideum isolates specifically take up F. johnsoniae-like cells into their sorus [2]. We wish to examine the relationship and cell-to-cell interactions between D. discoideum and F. johnsoniae. Therefore, we are requesting $294.47 to purchase basic reagents and supplies for cultivating and harvesting D. discoideum.
