Developmental defects in the svkA-null mutant. Developmental defects in the svkA-null mutant. (A) The development of starved svkA-null cells on phosphate agar showed a delay, whereas the wild-type and rescue strains developed as expected into loose and tight aggregates (6 hours/9 hours), slugs (12 hours) and mature fruiting bodies (24 hours). (B) Typical fruiting bodies obtained after three days on phosphate agar (wild-type and rescue strains: one each at the right; knockout cells: nine examples on the left). (C) Phototaxis of D. discoideum slugs on phosphate agar towards a light source at the right (*). Meino Rohlfs et al. J Cell Sci 2007;120:4345-4354 © The Company of Biologists Limited 2007