Fig. 1From: Using the social amoeba Dictyostelium to study the functions of proteins linked to neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosisThe life cycle of Dictyostelium. During growth, single cells feed on bacteria. Upon starvation, cells undergo chemotactic aggregation towards cAMP to form a multicellular mound. The mound then forms a finger, which falls on the surface to generate a motile pseudoplasmodium, or slug. During culmination, terminal differentiation of pre-stalk and pre-spore cells forms a fruiting body composed of a mass of viable spores supported atop a slender stalk. When a food source becomes available, the spores germinate allowing the cells to restart the life cycleBack to article page