Quantitative comparison of plasmodial migration and oscillatory properties across different slime molds

摘要: The clade of Myxogastria, commonly described as true or plasmodial slime molds, contains more than 1000 species. During their life cycle many these molds develop extended networks connected veins, known unicellular (phanero)plasmodia. Among those, Physarum polycephalum gathered by far the most attention biologists and physicists. Via oscillating cytoplasmic streams nutrients well signaling factors spread through adaptive network. These properties have rendered it not only a model organism for acellular but also to investigate network dynamics, biological fluid-dynamics food foraging behavior. Here, we studied parameters growth development, including chemotactic responses, in three mold species: polycephalum, Badhamia utricularis, Fuligo septica. We discovered significant variations chemotaxis, velocity, oscillatory behavior plasmodia among within Interestingly patterns reflect phylogenetic relationships In contrast common notion, phaneroplasmodia diverse specifically organized triggers yet be explored. This work lays ground studying organisms understand basic features planar organization variations, which evolved successful solutions nature.