Distressed amoebas can call for help

Some single-celled amoebas that become stalled while dividing into two daughter cells summon help from fellow amoebas, according to a report in March 22 Nature. When such cellular reproduction hits a snag, a member of Entamoeba invadens produces a chemical signal that brings other amoebas rushing in. An arriving cell acts as a “midwife,” severing the connection between the nascent daughter cells, say the researchers who documented the unusual behavior.