Change in properties of Physarum polycephalum amoebae during extended culture

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Genetics
• Mycology

Background:

• Physarum polycephalum is a model organism for studying cellular processes.
• Myxamoebal strains can exhibit variations over time.
• Genetic and morphological changes are key areas of biological investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in Physarum polycephalum myxamoebal strains over a two-year period.
• To correlate observed phenotypic changes with nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid content.

Main Methods:

• Long-term culturing and passage of Physarum polycephalum myxamoebal strains.
• Analysis of strain properties, including genetic crosses and plaque morphology.
• Quantification of nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid content.

Main Results:

• Significant alterations in cross-properties and plaque morphology were observed in several strains.
• These phenotypic changes were consistently correlated with an increase in nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid content.

Conclusions:

• Extended passage can induce heritable changes in Physarum polycephalum myxamoebal strains.
• Increased nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid content is associated with these observed variations, suggesting a potential role in the observed phenotypic plasticity.