P. Polycephalum (Slime mold) responding to predation/competition

[Jeremiah Blondin]

So, I've been growing slime molds and predatory slime molds for a few weeks now to observe multicellular aggregation.  Unfortunately, my home lab isn't 100% sterile and occasionally samples become contaminated.  Most of the time this just means it's time to throw out the sample, but on this occasion something interesting happened that I thought might be worth inquiring about.  An unknown variety of white mold contaminated my petri dish of Physarum polycephalum, with two colonies growing adjacent to slime mold bodies.  Both bodies fruited shortly after contamination.  This could be a fluke.  It is possible that those bodies were ready to fruit anyway, though one was sitting directly on a mostly undigested oat flake so I doubt they were responding to food supply shortage, which is the norm.  Even this does not prove that the protists were responding to the mold since slime molds do occasionally fruit spontaneously.  With out a doubt more experiments will have to be performed.  It is interesting however.  Anyone here know of any records of P. Polycephalum responding to predation or competition in it's environment?

[Cathal Garvey]

It's not my area, so take it with a pinch of salt, but..
..sporulation or fruiting in single-celled or colonial organisms, particularly saprophytes, can often be accellerated by stress. Essentially, organisms occupying that niche have a simple logic that their food supply may become exhausted, or before that occurs something else might try to kill them, so they should fruit at the first sign of trouble.

If this logic applies to P.polycephalum, perhaps the other mold is releasing a toxin or antifungal agent into the medium/oats, and the damage it is causing P.polycephalum triggers or advances fruiting?

On 28 December 2012 02:02, Jeremiah Blondin <ekkotr...@gmail.com> wrote:

So, I've been growing slime molds and predatory slime molds for a few weeks now to observe multicellular aggregation.  Unfortunately, my home lab isn't 100% sterile and occasionally samples become contaminated.  Most of the time this just means it's time to throw out the sample, but on this occasion something interesting happened that I thought might be worth inquiring about.  An unknown variety of white mold contaminated my petri dish of Physarum polycephalum, with two colonies growing adjacent to slime mold bodies.  Both bodies fruited shortly after contamination.  This could be a fluke.  It is possible that those bodies were ready to fruit anyway, though one was sitting directly on a mostly undigested oat flake so I doubt they were responding to food supply shortage, which is the norm.  Even this does not prove that the protists were responding to the mold since slime molds do occasionally fruit spontaneously.  With out a doubt more experiments will have to be performed.  It is interesting however.  Anyone here know of any records of P. Polycephalum responding to predation or competition in it's environment?

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[Jeremiah Blondin]

That is what appears to be the case.  It isn't anything especially unexpected for microorganisms in general, just something that I can't find any documentation for concerning this species.  D. Disctostellium (Predatory slime mold) is known to spore when certain predators are nearby but I haven't found any studies about P. Polycephalum exhibiting the same behavior.  I just started a new plate of P. Polycephalum that I intend to contaminate on Tuesday with the same mold.  I doubt I'm seeing anything new but one can dream right?

[Cathal Garvey]

Hey, if it's unpublished, it's news! :D

On 30 December 2012 23:46, Jeremiah Blondin <ekkotr...@gmail.com> wrote:

That is what appears to be the case.  It isn't anything especially unexpected for microorganisms in general, just something that I can't find any documentation for concerning this species.  D. Disctostellium (Predatory slime mold) is known to spore when certain predators are nearby but I haven't found any studies about P. Polycephalum exhibiting the same behavior.  I just started a new plate of P. Polycephalum that I intend to contaminate on Tuesday with the same mold.  I doubt I'm seeing anything new but one can dream right?

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