Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T13:10:44.493Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Developmental mutants in a homothallic strain of Physarum polycephalum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

A. E. Wheals
A. E. Wheals
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, England
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A derivative line of the homothallic Colonia strain of Physarum polycephalum has been isolated which produces plasmodia with high efficiency within clones of amoebae. Using the synergistic effect of ultraviolet light and caffeine, mutants of this line have been isolated which fail to undergo the developmental transition between haploid amoebae and diploid plasmodia (apt mutants). They are isolated by selecting for amoebae which fail to produce plasmodia within clones. Complementation tests of four mutants have shown that they are mutants of four different loci and they are recessive to wild-type. A further analysis of one mutant reveals that the apt-1 locus is unlinked to three other known markers. Crosses of this mutant with heterothallic strains yield progeny which are homothallic indicating that the lesion is not a revertant from a homothallic to a heterothallic mating-type. The use of this system in isolating developmental mutants is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Genetics Research , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , February 1973 , pp. 79 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

References

REFERENCES

Britten, R. & Davidson, E. H. (1969). Gene regulation for higher cells: a theory. Science 165, 349–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carlile, M. J. & Dee, J. (1967). Plasmodial fusion and lethal interaction between strains in a Myxomycete. Nature, London 215, 832–834.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, O. R. & Ling, H. (1968). Clonally-produced plasmodia in heterothallic isolates of Didymium iridis. Mycologia 60, 858–868.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dee, J. (1966). Multiple alleles and other factors affecting plasmodium formation in the true slime mould Physarum polycephalum Schw. Journal of Protozoology 13, 610–616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dee, J. & Poulter, R. T. M. (1970). A gene conferring actidione resistance and abnormal morphology on Physarum polycephalum plasmodia. Genetical Research 15, 35–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, W. D. & Alexopoulos, C. J. (1968). Biology of the Myxomycetes. New York: Ronald Press.Google Scholar
Gross, S. R. (1969). Genetic regulatory mechanisms in the Fungi. Annual Review of Genetics 3, 395–424.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haugli, F. B. & Dove, W. F. (1972). Mutagenesis and mutant selection in Physarum polycephalum. Molecular and General Genetics 118, 109–124.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poulter, R. T. M. (1969). Senescence in the Myxomycete Physarum polycephalum. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Leicester, England.Google Scholar
Poulter, R. T. M. & Dee, J. (1968). Segregation of factors controlling fusion between plasmodia of the true slime mould Physarum polycephalum. Genetical Research 12, 71–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sussman, M. W., Looms, W. F., Ashworth, J. M. & Sussman, R. R. (1967). The effect of actinomycin D on cellular slime mould morphogenesis. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 26, 353–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheals, A. E. (1970). A homothallic strain of the Myxomycete Physarum polycephalum. Genetics 66, 623–633.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed