Dictyosteliida

Dictyosteliida, commonly known as cellular slime molds, are a group of social amoebae within the Amoebozoa. They differ from plasmodial slime molds in that their feeding stage consists of individual amoeboid cells that can aggregate to form a multicellular organism during the life cycle. In nutrient-rich soils they feed on bacteria as solitary cells; when food runs out, cells release chemoattractants and migrate toward aggregation centers to form a loose, motile structure called a slug or pseudoplasmodium. The slug migrates as a coordinated unit, driven by signaling and differentiation cues. Following migration it culminates into a fruiting body, typically with a stalk of vacuolated cells supporting a head of spores. Spores are dispersed and can germinate into new amoebae when conditions improve.

Taxonomy and distribution: Dictyosteliida comprises several genera, with Dictyostelium being the best known. Species such as Dictyostelium discoideum have served as important model organisms in developmental biology, chemotaxis, and cell signaling. They are found worldwide, primarily in soils and leaf litter where microbes provide food resources.

Life cycle and ecology: The lifecycle alternates between unicellular feeding and multicellular development. Under starvation, aggregation is driven by cyclic AMP signaling and cell-type differentiation gives rise to distinct stalk and spore cells. Research on Dictyosteliida has contributed broadly to understanding cell communication, pattern formation, and differentiation.