Taxonomy, slime molds, and the questions we ask

Swanson, Andrew R.; Spiegel, Frederick W.; Cavender, James C.

doi:10.1080/15572536.2003.11833154

Cited by 21 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…To begin investigating this possibility, we generated working stocks by allowing lyophilized spores of five dictyostelid strains to germinate. All dictyostelid strains were able to grow on lawns of K. oxytoca as described (Methods) and demonstrated morphological and behavioral characteristics appropriate for their taxonomic designations (Raper and Rahn 1984; Swanson et al 2002). These hallmarks derive from the life cycle of the organism, which includes a solitary myxamoebae stage and progressive stages of aggregation and multicellular development (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dictyostelids are abundant in temperate woodland soils but they have also been identified in diverse habitats that include caves, agricultural land, prairies, marshes, sandy mesas, tundra, and tropical forest (e.g., Cavender 1973, 2013; Cavender et al 2002; Landolt et al 2008; Romeralo et al 2010, 2011b; Swanson et al 2001, 2002; Vadell et al 2011). In most cases they are found in association with decaying leaves and organic waste (solid surfaces).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiple Dictyostelid Species Destroy Biofilms of Klebsiella oxytoca and Other Gram Negative Species

Sanders

Borys

Kisa

et al. 2017

Protist

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Dictyostelids are free-living phagocytes that feed on bacteria in diverse habitats. When bacterial prey is in short supply or depleted, they undergo multicellular development culminating in the formation of dormant spores. In this work, we tested isolates representing four dictyostelid species from two genera (Dictyostelium and Polysphondylium) for the potential to feed on biofilms preformed on glass and polycarbonate surfaces. The abilities of dictyostelids were monitored for three hallmarks of activity: 1) spore germination on biofilms, 2) predation on biofilm enmeshed bacteria by phagocytic cells and 3) characteristic stages of multicellular development (streaming and fructification). We found that all dictyostelid isolates tested could feed on biofilm enmeshed bacteria produced by human and plant pathogens: Klebsiella oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas syringae, Erwinia amylovora 1189 (biofilm former) and E. amylovora 1189 Δams (biofilm deficient mutant). However, when dictyostelids were fed planktonic E. amylovora Δams the bacterial cells exhibited an increased susceptibility to predation by one of the two dictyostelid strains they were tested against. Taken together, the qualitative and quantitative data presented here suggest that dictyostelids have preferences in bacterial prey which affects their efficiency of feeding on bacterial biofilms.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple Dictyostelid Species Destroy Biofilms of Klebsiella oxytoca and Other Gram Negative Species

Sanders

Borys

Kisa

et al. 2017

Protist

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“…Since the species in the oldest clade, group 1, form fruiting bodies with cellular stalks, the latter possibility seems more likely, although it is still possible that cellular stalks arose independently multiple times, as pointed out by Swanson et al . [ 9 ]. In either case, it is intriguing to determine what genetic information correlates with the ability to undergo germ-soma differentiation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative genome and transcriptome analyses of the social amoeba Acytostelium subglobosum that accomplishes multicellular development without germ-soma differentiation

et al. 2015

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BackgroundSocial amoebae are lower eukaryotes that inhabit the soil. They are characterized by the construction of a starvation-induced multicellular fruiting body with a spore ball and supportive stalk. In most species, the stalk is filled with motile stalk cells, as represented by the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum, whose developmental mechanisms have been well characterized. However, in the genus Acytostelium, the stalk is acellular and all aggregated cells become spores. Phylogenetic analyses have shown that it is not an ancestral genus but has lost the ability to undergo cell differentiation.ResultsWe performed genome and transcriptome analyses of Acytostelium subglobosum and compared our findings to other available dictyostelid genome data. Although A. subglobosum adopts a qualitatively different developmental program from other dictyostelids, its gene repertoire was largely conserved. Yet, families of polyketide synthase and extracellular matrix proteins have not expanded and a serine protease and ABC transporter B family gene, tagA, and a few other developmental genes are missing in the A. subglobosum lineage. Temporal gene expression patterns are astonishingly dissimilar from those of D. discoideum, and only a limited fraction of the ortholog pairs shared the same expression patterns, so that some signaling cascades for development seem to be disabled in A. subglobosum.ConclusionsThe absence of the ability to undergo cell differentiation in Acytostelium is accompanied by a small change in coding potential and extensive alterations in gene expression patterns.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1278-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…800 species recognized, Lado 2001), with at least some of the protostelids as possible ancestors (37 described taxa, Spiegel et al 2004) and Dictyostelids (ca. 100 taxa , Cavender 1990;Swanson et al 2002) as a sister group. Most Myxomycetes form fructifications of macroscopic size with spore cases held aloft on a delicate stalk or attached directly to the substrate by their bases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sedimentation velocity of myxomycete spores

Tesmer

Schnittler

2007

Mycol Progress

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Sedimentation velocities were measured for seven myxomycete species and one fungus. Values for these first measurements for Myxomycetes were fitted with the formula of Stoke's law for the terminal velocity of small spherical bodies in air. The obtained correlation coefficient of R=0.939 indicates that sedimentation velocities of myxomycete spores follow Stoke's law well. With spore density as a parameter, the fit estimated a mean density of 0.74 g/cm 3 for air-dried spores. The importance of the stalked spore case as well as the spore diameter for dispersal abilities of Myxomycetes is discussed.

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Taxonomy, slime molds, and the questions we ask

Cited by 21 publications

References 37 publications

Multiple Dictyostelid Species Destroy Biofilms of Klebsiella oxytoca and Other Gram Negative Species

Multiple Dictyostelid Species Destroy Biofilms of Klebsiella oxytoca and Other Gram Negative Species

Comparative genome and transcriptome analyses of the social amoeba Acytostelium subglobosum that accomplishes multicellular development without germ-soma differentiation

Sedimentation velocity of myxomycete spores

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