Nutrition of the Myxomycetes. II. Relations between Plasmodia, Bacteria, and Substrate in Two-Membered Culture

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Abstract
Myxomycete plasmodia of several spp. were grown on oatmeal agar in 2-membered culture with various bacteria. Two spp. of myxomycetes, Badhamia foliicola and B. magna, were used chiefly. No constant association was found between a particular bacterium and a particular myxomycete, but a bacterium found commonly in a gross culture of one myxomycete was usually also common in gross cultures of other spp. The most common bacteria were the usual soil and water types. Plasmodia grew in 2-membered culture with very diverse bacteria including acid-fast spp. and actinomycetes. Among factors limiting growth of the plasmodium were sliminess of the bacterial colonies, excessive growth, and production of toxic substances. Plasmodia often dissociated in culture, surviving portions growing on bacteria previously refused. Only slight correlation was found between ability of plasmodia to feed on bacteria and their taxis toward the colonies. Plasmodia hydrolyzed the starch of the medium to simple sugars which often enhanced growth of the associated bacteria.