Dictyostelium discoideum as a model in biomedical research

Abstract

The simple eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum has been traditionally used to understand basic principles of cell and developmental biology and now has also become a useful system in biomedical research. What are the similarities and differences between D. discoideum and other simple microbial models such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae? Which aspects are more advantageous to address in D. discoideum? Are there any processes or specific proteins present in D. discoideum that are difficult or impossible to study in other systems? Does it make sense to use such a simple organism in biomedicine? These and other questions will be addressed in this chapter, together with some specific examples in which D. discoideum has proved its potential to model human disease.