Project description:The intent of the experiment was to gather transcriptomic data from terminally differentiated cell types --spore, stalk, and cup cells-- in a simple multicellular model system, Dictyostelium discoideum, in order to characterize the cell-type specific gene expression patterns. Specifically, we dissociated and collected each cell type from the fruiting bodies of D. discoideum at 24 hours of development. We also collected exponentially growing vegetative cells of D. discoideum.
Project description:spaA is a Cud-type transcription factor that is essential for spore cell differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum, a social amoeba. ChIP-seq was performed to identify spaA target genes.
Project description:Dictyostelium discoideum is an ideal organism to study SH2-domain mediated signal transduction because not only does it provide relatively simple model cell biological and developmental processes, but also possesses a highly streamlined repertoire of SH2-containing proteins. We studied one such novel protein, LrrB, by gene deletion and protein interaction experiments. A DNA microarray experiment carried out on growing cells reveals misregulation of a small set of vegetative genes in the lrrB knockout strain when compared to the parent, Ax2. Real time PCR experiments described in the accompanying manuscript extend these observations to show how this affects gene expression during early development, and that knockouts in another SH2 protein that interacts with LrrB show misregulation of some of the same genes, suggesting that these proteins may form part of a novel adaptor complex that regulates gene expression during Dictyostelium growth and early development.
