DUAL ROLE OF CAMP DURING DICTYOSTELIUM DEVELOPMENT

cAMP plays an essential role during Dictyostelium development both out side and inside the cell. Membrane-bound receptors and adenylyl cyclas e are responsible for sensing and producing extracellular cAMP, wherea s a phosphodiesterase is responsible for maintaining a low basal level . The molecular events underlying this type of hormone like signalling , which are now beginning to be deciphered, will be presented, in the light of cAMP analogue studies. The importance of intracellular cAMP f or cell differentiation has been demonstrated by the central role of t he cAMP dependent protein kinase. Mutants as well as strains obtained by reverse genetics will be reviewed which lead to our current underst anding of the role of intracellular cAMP in the differentiation of bot h stalk and spore cells.