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Spatial patterns in the fruiting bodies of the cellular slime mold Polysphondylium pallidum

E C Cox1, F W Spiegel, G Byrne

  • 1Department of Biology, Princeton University, N.J. 08544.

Differentiation; Research in Biological Diversity
|July 1, 1988
PubMed

Insights

Slime mold morphogenesis in Polysphondylium pallidum shows regular spacing of whorls and sorocarps. This regularity is explained by forces orienting cells and cohesive forces, alongside models of activation and inhibition.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Slime mold Polysphondylium pallidum undergoes complex morphogenesis.
  • Cell masses are periodically released during development, forming secondary fruiting bodies called whorls.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the morphogenesis of P. pallidum.
  • To characterize the spacing of whorls and sorocarps.
  • To propose models explaining observed spacing patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Observation and characterization of P. pallidum development.
  • Analysis of whorl spacing along the stalk.
  • Analysis of sorocarp spacing within whorls.
  • Modeling of cellular forces and interactions.

Main Results:

  • Both whorl spacing and sorocarp spacing are highly regular.
  • A model involving orienting and cohesive forces explains linear whorl spacing.
  • Short-range activation and lateral inhibition models explain fruiting body arrangement within whorls.

Conclusions:

  • The regular patterns in P. pallidum morphogenesis are quantitatively predictable.
  • Physical forces and cell-cell interactions are key drivers of developmental patterning.
  • The study provides insights into the mechanisms of biological pattern formation.

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