Isolation, Cultivation, and Conservation of Simple Slime Molds

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Abstract
Of all habitats investigated, samples of soil collected from the forest floor proved most productive. One method of isolation of the vars. is the placing of small samples of the material to be tested (soil, leaf fragments, dung, etc.) upon the surface of non-nutrient agar-plate and permitting such slime molds as may be present to develop fructifications directly upon or adjacent to the sample material. In cultivating the molds the choice of bacterial associates is important and the choice should be governed by the nature of the investigation. Escherichia coli was found most suitable. Pseudomonas fluorescens also provides excellent nutriment if the medium is prevented from becoming too alkaline. No evidence of symbiotic association has been observed. The choice of culture medium is governed and varied according to the nature of the study. In general, hay infusion agar with 0.015% peptone added; peptone-lactose or peptone-dextrose agar; carrot-infusion agar, are all recommended. Several spp. of slime molds are briefly characterized by their initial growth responses and the nature of the sample from which they have been most frequently isolated is given. Cultures of the Dictyosteliaceae have been conserved over 8 years without appreciable decline.
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