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Environmental Factors Affecting the Aggregation of the Cellular Slime Mold, Dictyostelium discoideum * †
Author(s) -
Bradley S. G.,
Sussman M.,
Ennis H. L.
Publication year - 1956
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1956.tb02429.x
Subject(s) - dictyostelium discoideum , slime mold , histidine , biochemistry , population , purine , catabolism , biology , chemotaxis , enzyme , chemistry , receptor , demography , sociology , gene
SUMMARY. The aggregative process of Dictyostelium discoideum is unaffected by most chemical and physical alterations of the environment. Such substances as vitamins, amino acids, catabolic intermediates, purines and pyrimidines, redox poising agents, enzyme inhibitors, and inorganic salts were added to the aggregative substrate. Of these, only a few exerted any influence on aggregation except at lethal concentrations. Histidine allowed the wild‐type myxamoebae to aggregate at lower population densities and accelerated the aggregative process as compared with controls on minimal agar. Brief exposure to histidine irreversibly conditioned the cells. No degradation of the imidazol skeleton was detected. A rise and fall of internal soluble histidine were demonstrable. The purine base, adenine, raised the population density required for maximal center formation.