Slime Molds Slime Molds…Whatever Darrin Rubino Hanover College Biology Department

Overview What they are What makes them unique Life History and Ecology Research Conclusions

Slime Molds Unfortunate name Four different types of organisms Protists (more or less) Amoebozoa (kingdom) Phylum Myxomycota – Myxomycetes (Class) – True slime molds – Acellular slime molds – Plasmodial slime molds Biological jewels

Slime Molds So bizarre, long misclassified Long thought to be a fungi – myxa – mycetes Phylogenetic placement – Molecular – Developmental Own kingdom Must understand life cycle to appreciate

Life cycle Very unique “Extravagant” life history Does reproduce sexually (earliest protists) Variable among species General – Plasmogamy - join protoplasts – Karyogamy – fusion of nuclei – Meiosis Ploidy of structure

Plasmodium Incredible stage of lifecycle Acellular – multinucleate (millions) – Synchronous – 8 – 10 hours Fluid and gelatinous Streaming 1.35 mm/s

Plasmodium Phagotrophs – Bacteria – Yeast – Fungal spores – Decaying matter Expand while favorable conditions Declining conditions ?v=p6OoHctERPs ?v=p6OoHctERPs

Classification Approximately 888 different species Much variation Class: Myxomycetes Three subclasses Six orders Sporophore development Sporophore type Spore production Spore color Capillitia Calcium or lime

1 mm Chocolate tube slime Stemonitis fusca Yellow-fuzz cone slime Hemitrichia clavata

1 mm Red raspberry slime Tubifera ferruginosa Multigoblet slime Metatrichia vesparium 1 mm

Life History and Ecology Are these things common? Did I ever even see one? Very common in temperate forests caca de luna

Enteridium lycoperdon

Life History and Ecology “…superficial and largely qualitative” (Ing) Cosmopolitan Requirements – Moisture – Temperature – Substrate – pH

Life History and Ecology Specialists – Assemblages – Bark Seasonal – Spring through October – October is peak Much more to be learned

Research Avenues Moist chamber technique Physarum polycephalum

Current Research Synchronization of cell division Senescence Cancer Purified Poly(  -L-malic Acid) Polycefin (polycephalum) Deliver antisense gene silencing therapies Cytology Genetics Molecular biology Biochemistry Biophysics Mitosis Morphogenesis Reproduction (cue) Physiology Aging

Current Research Heavy metal clean up – Dog barf slime – Potential plant GMO Space – gravity sensing Novel biological compounds – Trials necessary – Not just novelties (Keller)

Conclusions Unique protists Few specialists (disease & economic impact) Still much to learn – Application health/environment – Ecology Questions