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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Sexual Crosses with the Mucoromycete Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Published on: June 6, 2025

Cultivation, spore production, and mating.

Hideko Urushihara¹

¹Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki-ken, Japan.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|September 8, 2006

Summary

Dictyostelium discoideum, a model organism, exhibits solitary, multicellular, and sexual development. Specific mutations allow bacterial-free proliferation, simplifying laboratory studies of its life cycle.

Area of Science:

Cellular and Molecular Biology
Developmental Biology
Microbiology

Background:

Dictyostelium discoideum is a versatile model organism for studying cell differentiation and development.
It naturally exists as solitary amoebae but can aggregate to form multicellular fruiting bodies or undergo sexual reproduction to form macrocysts.
Environmental cues regulate these distinct developmental pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe the life cycle and developmental plasticity of Dictyostelium discoideum.
To highlight laboratory-inducible processes for studying its biology.
To present mutant strains with altered nutritional requirements and storage capabilities.

Main Methods:

Culturing Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae with or without food bacteria.

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Sexual Development and Ascospore Discharge in Fusarium graminearum

Sexual Development and Ascospore Discharge in Fusarium graminearum

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Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle

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Inducing synchronous multicellular development (fruiting body formation) by nutrient depletion.

Inducing synchronous sexual development (macrocyst formation) by mixing specific heterothallic strains.

Main Results:

Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae can proliferate independently of bacteria when specific mutations in axe loci are present.
Both fruiting body and macrocyst development can be reliably synchronized in laboratory settings.
Spores and amoebae offer flexible storage options for Dictyostelium discoideum strains.

Conclusions:

Dictyostelium discoideum's developmental processes are amenable to laboratory manipulation, facilitating research.
Mutant strains and synchronized development protocols enhance experimental efficiency.
This organism serves as a valuable tool for investigating fundamental biological processes.