Dictyostelium : evolution, cell biology, and the development of multicellularity / Richard H. Kessin ; bibliography by Jakob Franke.

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

1. A Brief Introduction to Dictyostelium discoideum and its Relatives -- 2. A History of Research on Dictyostelium discoideum -- 3. The Evolutionary Biology of Dictyostelium -- 4. The Genome and Genetics -- 5. Membranes and Organelles of Dictyostelium -- 6. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton -- 7. The Transition from Growth to Development: From Starvation to Self-Sustaining cAMP Signal Relay -- 8. Chemotaxis and Aggregation -- 9. Differentiation and Adhesion in the Aggregate -- 10. The Behavior of Cells in the Slug -- 11. Culmination -- 12. Formation and Germination of Spores -- 13. Resources.

Dictyostelia are soil amoebae capable of extraordinary feats of survival, motility, chemotaxis, and development. Characterised by their ability to transform from a single-celled organism into an elaborate assemblage of thousands of synchronously-moving cells, Dictyostelids are often referred to as 'social amoebae', and have been the subjects of serious study since the 1930s. Research in this area has been instrumental in understanding many problems in cellular biology. Beginning with the history of Dictyostelids and discussing each stage of their development, this book considers the evolution of this unique organism, analyses the special properties of the Dictyostelid genome, and presents in detail the methods available, at the time of the book's original publication in 2001, to manipulate their genes. Representing the synthesis of such material and with an emphasis on combining classical experiments with modern molecular findings, this book will be essential for researchers and graduates in developmental and cellular biology.