Parasexual Genetic Analysis of Cell Proportioning Mutants of DICTYOSTELIUM DISCOIDEUM

Eight independently isolated mutants of Dictyostelium discoideum that differentiate exclusively into stalk cells make up one complementation group and carry single recessive mutations at the stalky locus, stkA, located on linkage group II. KY19, a previously described strain that differentiates into spores, but not stalk cells, was found to possess a recessive mutation defining the stalkless locus, stlA, located on linkage group VI. An analysis of the properties of these mutants, together with the phenotype of a haploid double mutant carrying stkA and stlA indicates that stlA results in poorly organized stalk tubes and incomplete stalk cell differentiation, while stkA causes all of the cells to differentiate into stalk cells, even when not enclosed in the stalk tube. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to current theories of pattern formation in D. discoideum.