Kinetics of Mating in Physarum polycephalum

Abstract

SUMMARYPlasmodium formation by mating was studied in cultures containing equal numbers of mating-compatible amoebae. A period of amoebal multiplication always preceded Plasmodium formation. When the inoculum varied from a total of 3 × 103 to 1.6 × 105 cells per culture, Plasmodium formation commenced when the total number of cells reached about 5 × 105 per culture. When the inoculum included an excess of a third strain of amoebae that is unable to mate with the first two, mating commenced when the total number of matable cells reached only 1 × 105 per culture. This effect of the third strain of amoebae was not brought about by their consumption of the bacteria used as food, since directly limiting the number of food bacteria did not cause earlier mating. When amoebae of the third strain were separated from the mating cells by paired 0.2 μm Nuclepore filters, premature mating still occurred. Thus, as is the case with asexual Plasmodium formation, one or more extracellular factors appear to influence the time of onset of mating.