Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetics of Growth in Axenic Medium of the Cellular Slime Mould Dictyostelium discoideum

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

ALTHOUGH Dictyostelium discoideum is normally grown on bacteria1,2, it is desirable for most biochemical studies to use strains grown in the absence of bacteria (axenically)3. Isolation of these strains is laborious, however; for this reason we have investigated the genetic basis of growth in axenic medium and have developed a method for inserting the chromosomes bearing the genes for axenic growth into other non-axenic strains. This is made possible by our finding that genes for axenic growth are located on only two of the seven linkage groups and that chromosomes can be readily exchanged between different strains. Using an improved version of the methods employing parasexuality previously reported4,5, we have selected axenic resegregants carrying various markers from non-axenic strains.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sussman, M., in Methods in Cell Physiology (edit. by Prescott, D.), 2, 397 (Academic Press, New York and London, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Gerish, G., in Current Topics in Developmental Biology (edit. by Monroy, A., and Moscona, A. A.), 3, 157 (Academic Press, New York and London, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Sussman, R., and Sussman, M., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 29, 53 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Fukui, Y., and Takeuchi, I., J. gen. Microbiol., 67, 307 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Watts, D. J., and Ashworth, J. M., Biochem. J., 119, 171 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Loomis, W. F., Expl Cell Res., 64, 484 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Sussman, R., and Sussman, M., J. gen. Microbiol., 30, 349 (1963).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Sackin, M. J., and Ashworth, J. M., J. gen. Microbiol., 59, 275 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. RICHARD H. KESSIN

    Present address: Division of Biological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford

    KEITH LESLIE WILLIAMS, RICHARD H. KESSIN & PETER C. NEWELL

Authors
  1. KEITH LESLIE WILLIAMS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. RICHARD H. KESSIN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. PETER C. NEWELL
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

WILLIAMS, K., KESSIN, R. & NEWELL, P. Genetics of Growth in Axenic Medium of the Cellular Slime Mould Dictyostelium discoideum. Nature 247, 142–143 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/247142a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/247142a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation