Cooperation between Two Species of Dictyostelium
Author Information
Author(s): Jack Chandra N, Ridgeway Julia G, Mehdiabadi Natasha J, Jones Emily I, Edwards Tracy A, Queller David C, Strassmann Joan E
Primary Institution: Rice University
Hypothesis
Do D. discoideum and D. purpureum form chimeric fruiting bodies when mixed together?
Conclusion
Both species appear to favor clonality but can cooperate with each other to produce fruiting bodies.
Supporting Evidence
- More than 30% of the fruiting bodies examined were chimeric in 20 out of 21 trials.
- Chimeric D. discoideum fruiting bodies contained an average of 26.8% D. purpureum spores.
- D. discoideum produced significantly more fruiting bodies when mixed with D. purpureum compared to when alone.
Takeaway
Two types of slime molds can work together to make bigger fruiting bodies, but they usually prefer to stay separate.
Methodology
Cells from both species were mixed in equal proportions, and 198 individual fruiting bodies were analyzed for phenotype and spore composition.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the selection of clones and environmental conditions during the experiments.
Limitations
The study was conducted in a lab setting, which may not fully represent natural conditions.
Participant Demographics
The study involved genetically distinct wild clones of D. discoideum and D. purpureum.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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