Structural and functional studies of a family of Dictyostelium discoideum developmentally regulated, prestalk genes coding for small proteins

Abstract

A large family of genes coding for small proteins has been identified in D. discoideum. Two groups of very similar genes from this family have been shown to be specifically expressed in prestalk cells during development. Functional studies using antibodies raised against Group 2 SigN proteins indicate that these genes could play a role during multicellular development.