Culture and reproductive systems of 11 species of Mycetozoans

Abstract

The culture and reproductive systems of 10 species (16 isolates) of myxomycetes and one species (one isolate) of protostelid were investigated. A single isolate of Ceratiomyxa fructiculosa was grown on agar and found to be nonheterothallic. This is the first report of spore-to-spore cultivation of this species and the first report of a reproductive system in the protostelids. Isolates of the myxomycetes Didymium dubium, Didymium iridis, Didymium vaccinum, Licea biforis, Perichaena vermicularis, Physarum gyrosum, Physarum pusillum (six isolates) and Semimorula liquescens all were nonheterothallic. This is the first report of culture and a reproductive system for D. vaccinum, the first report of nonheterothallism for S. liquescens and the second report of nonheterothallic isolates of D. dubium, Licea biforis, Perichaena vermicularis and P. gyrosum. The nonheterothallic isolate of D. iridis is one of many reported for this species, and the six nonheterothallic isolates of P. pusillum add to the seven nonheterothallic and two heterothallic isolates already known. In addition, five of the isolates of P. pusillum apparently represent a small form that is adapted to an ephemeral micohabitat, and the sixth is a yellow form of a species that is typically white. The Didymium ?ovoideum isolate and the two Physarum didermoides isolates have heterothallic reproductive systems. The D. ?ovoideum isolate is somewhat different from most isolates of this species in its morphology and reproductive system. It is not compatible with any of the heterothallic isolates of long-stalked Didymium, including the A0 biological species already determined for D. ovoideum; therefore, it is either a new biological species of D. ovoideum or a separate new species. The two heterothallic isolates of P. didermoides form a multiple allelic mating-type series with four alleles.

• Ceratiomyxa
• Didymium
• Licea
• Perichaena
• Physarum
• Semimorula

We wish to thank Mr. B. Irawan, Mr. M. Lizarrage, Dr. J. Landolt and Dr. N. McLetchie for providing us with the collections upon which much of this study was based. Some addition collections were obtained as a result of financing by the National Science Foundation (Grant DEB-9905464 to SLS).