Sporulation of Oat-Cultured Physarum polycephalum. I. Sporulation Competence of Dark Starved Plasmodia

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Plasmodia of P. polycephalum were maintained in the dark on compressed (rolled) oats distributed over 1.5% agar plates. Following a 2 day growth period plasmodia were transferred to 1.5% agar without oats. If the plasmodia were of sufficient size, illumination at 1.5 .times. 101 lx for 2 days induced sporulation. When plasmodia were starved on 1.5% non-nutrient agar in the dark for various periods prior to illumination, maximum sporulation competence occurred at the beginning of starvation. A linear decrease in competence was noted over the ensuing 3 day period. Small plasmodia did not sporulate regardless of the length of dark-starvation, but irrespective of size, the dark-starved plasmodia began to sclerotize after 3 days. Smaller sized plsmodia sclerotized with a relatively high degree of synchrony. Illumination inhibited induction of sclerotization in the non-sporulating plasmodia.