The Chemotactic Response of Plasmodia of the Myxomycete to Sugars and Related Compounds Free

Abstract

A new technique, the double strip method, for studying the chemotaxis of myxomycete plasmodia is described. was attracted by the aldohexoses -glucose, -galactose and -mannose and their derivatives 2-deoxy--glucose and maltose, thresholds ranging from 0·25 m (-glucose) to 5 m (-mannose). These sugars competed with each other, a uniform background of one of them inhibiting taxis to the others. Other attractants were -acetyl--glucosamine and mannitol, with thresholds at 1 m, and fucose (6-deoxy--galactose). Although in general only those carbohydrates which could support growth were attractants, there were exceptions such as 2-deoxy--glucose; hence metabolism of a compound was not necessary for attraction. In addition, some compounds, such as fructose, could be metabolized but did not attract. At high concentrations (about 100 m) all the compounds tested, including attractants, could under appropriate conditions cause repulsion, probably through osmotic effects.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-108-1-17
1978-09-01
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/micro/108/1/mic-108-1-17.html?itemId=/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-108-1-17&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Adler J. 1975; Chemotaxis in bacteria. Primitive Sensory and Communication Systems: the Taxes and Tropisms of Micro-organisms and Cells91–100 Carlile M. J. London: Academic Press;
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Carlile M. J. 1970; Nutrition and chemotaxis in the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum: the effect of carbohydrates on the plasmodium. Journal of General Microbiology 63:221–226
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Carlile M. J. 1972; The lethal interaction following plasmodial fusion between two strains of the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum . Journal of General Microbiology 71:581–590
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Carlile M. J. 1975; Taxes and tropisms: diversity, biological significance and evolution. Primitive Sensory and Communication Systems: the Taxes and Tropisms of Micro-organisms and Cells1–28 Carlile M. J. London: Academic Press;
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Chet I., Naveh A., & Henis Y. 1977; Chemotaxis of Physarum polycephalum towards carbohydrates, amino acids and nucleotides. Journal of General Microbiology 102:145–148
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Durham A. C. H., & Ridgeway E. B. 1976; Control of chemotaxis in Physarum polycephalum . Journal of Cell Biology 69:218–223
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Knowles D. J. C., & Carlile M. J. 1978; Growth and migration of plasmodia of the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum : the effect of carbohydrates, including agar. Journal of General Microbiology 108:9–15
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Ludlow C. T., & Durham A. C. H. 1977; Calcium ion fluxes across the external surface of Physarum polycephalum . Protoplasma 91:107–113
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Madelin M. F., Audus F., & Knowles D. 1975; Attraction of plasmodia of the myxomycete, Badhamia utricularis by extracts of the basidio-mycete, Stereum hirsutum . Journal of General Microbiology 89:229–234
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Snedecor G. W., Cochran W. G. 1974 Statistical Methods, 6. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press;
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Strange P. G., & Koshland D. E. 1976; Receptor interactions in a signalling system: competition between galactose receptor and ribose receptor in the chemotaxis response. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 73762–766
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Sweeley C. C., Bentley R., Makita M., & Wells W. W. 1963; Gas-liquid chromatography of trimethylsilyl derivatives of sugars and related substances. Journal of the American Chemical Society 85:2497–2507
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Ueda T., Terayama K., Kurihara K., & Koba-take Y. 1975; Threshold phenomena in chemoreception and taxis in the slime mould Physarum polycephalum . Journal of General Physiology 65:223–234
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Ueda T., Muratsugu M., Kurihara K., & Kobatake Y. 1976; Chemotaxis in Physarum polycephalum . Experimental Cell Research 100:337–344
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-108-1-17
Loading
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-108-1-17
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Most cited Most Cited RSS feed