Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Meiosis in Dictyostelium mucoroides

Abstract

THE cellular slime moulds are favourable organisms for the study of morphogenetic processes. But so far, genetic analysis of their development has been hampered by the apparent absence of a true sexual cycle, although progress has been made in parasexual genetic analysis1–3. Recent ultrastructural observations of the macrocysts of two species have suggested, but not proved, that karyogamy and meiosis are an integral part of dormancy and germination of this developmental stage4–6. We present here genetic confirmation that in D. mucoroides (strain DM-7) the assortment of mutant traits among progeny of single macrocysts is consistent only with meiosis.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Loomis, W. F., and Ashworth, J., J. gen. Microbiol., 53, 181–186 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Katz, E. R., and Sussman, M., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 69, 495–498 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Williams, K. L., Kessin, R. H., Newell, P. C., Nature, 247, 142–143 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Filosa, M. F., and Dengler, R. E., Devl Biol., 29, 1–16 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Erdos, G. N., Nickerson, A. W., and Raper, K. B., Cytobiologie, 6, 351–366 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Erdos, G. N., Nickerson, A. W., and Raper, K. B., Devl Biol., 32, 321–330 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Emerson, S., in The fungi (edit. by Ainsworth, G. C., and Sussman, A. S.), 2, 513–566 (Academic Press, New York and London, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Perkins, D. D., Genetics, 38, 187–197 (1953).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Roper, J. A., in The fungi (edit. by Ainsworth, G. C., and Sussman, A. S.), 2, 589–617 (Academic Press, New York and London, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Nickerson, A. W., and Raper, K. B., Am. J. Bot., 60, 190–197 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Nickerson, A. W., and Raper, K. B., Am. J. Bot., 60, 247–254 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Yanagisawa, K., Loomis, W. F., and Sussman, M., Expl Cell Res., 46, 328–334 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Banner, J. T., J. exp. Zool., 106, 1–26 (1947).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MACINNES, M., FRANCIS, D. Meiosis in Dictyostelium mucoroides. Nature 251, 321–324 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/251321a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/251321a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing