Modeling spatial patterns in Dictyostelium

The life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum provides a striking example of the transition from single cell behavior to multicellular cooperativity. In this paper the status of the attempts at making semiquantitative models of the aggregation phase of this cycle is reviewed. Specifically, it is discussed how the propagation of cAMP waves is a typical example of excitable signaling, which is then rendered unstable by coupling to cell chemotaxis. To investigate the streaming pattern that emerges from this clumping instability, we next turn to a new simulation strategy, which couples dynamical cell-like entities ("bions") to continuum chemical concentration fields. Finally, we discuss two directions for further research: One is the study of the robustness with respect to the variation of system parameters (such as the cell density) exhibited by the biological system, but not by any simple model. The other concerns going beyond the aggregation phase to tackle the three-dimensional problem of slug formation and motion.