Short- and long-term memory of moving amoeboid cells
Fig 9
Schematic and properties of short-term memory of position and long-term memory of polarity axis.
The extending pseudopod provides signals to two memory systems. Left part: at the position of the extending pseudopod SCAR becomes modified, which enhances the probability to start the next-next pseudopod at that local position. Right part: the extending pseudopod enhances guanylyl cyclase activity generating fast diffusing cGMP in the entire cell, which binds to GbpC and induces myosin filaments in the entire cell. The extending pseudopod also induces Rap1 activation that inhibits myosin filaments in the front of the cell. Since cGMP-binding to and dissociation from GbpC is slow, GbpC integrates information from ~10 successive pseudopods thereby generating a long-term memory of cell polarity. The Table summarizes the properties of memory of position and memory of polarity.