Ca 2+ signaling regulates ecmB expression, cell differentiation and slug regeneration in Dictyostelium
Yekaterina’s paper was published in Differentiation. This paper examines Ca2+ signaling in Dictyostelium, which regulates cell differentiation and morphogenesis in a diversity of organisms while its dysregulation leads to many pathologies. Yekaterina showed that cell-type specific gene expression is Ca2+- and CaM-dependent in vivo. Also, agents that affect Ca2+ levels or antagonize CaM affect cell motility and slug regeneration. This is the first study detailing these aspects of cell differentiation and multicellular development in Dictyostelium.
Great job, Dr. Poloz!