Examining the role of MekA and YakA in Dictyostelium signaling

Abstract

A series of trials were conducted to determine how each protein or kinase plays a role in the signaling of a cell. Among the factors tested were response time, extent of response, and the response under varying stimuli (stimuli included cAMP and folic acid). The primary focus of my individual tests was the role of the kinases mekA and yakA, and I collaborated with my partner to study PakF. Throughout these tests it was shown that yakA- cells respond to either stimuli similar to wild-type cells but mekA- cells show a slower response or no response at all. With these results in mind, MekA was shown to play a possible role in the adaptation of the response, bringing a cell back to its unstimulated state. It is unclear what role YakA plays within a cell, but it does not seem to play a role in this signaling process.