The Molecular Biology of Physarum polycephalum

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. Introduction to Physarum

   1. Introduction to Physarum

      • Helmut W. Sauer

      Pages 1-17

3. Position Papers

   1. Genetic Analysis in Physarum polycephalum

      • Timothy G. Burland

      Pages 19-38

   2. Molecular Organization of the Physarum Genome

      • Norman Hardman

      Pages 39-66

   3. Temporal Order of Replication and Gene Expression in Physarum polycephalum

      • Gerard Pierron

      Pages 67-77

   4. The PhysarumPhysarum Cell Cycle

      • Thomas G. Laffler, John J. Tyson

      Pages 79-109

   5. Cellular Transformations of Myxamoebae

      • Roger W. Anderson, Jennifer Dee, Keith Gull

      Pages 111-130

   6. Gene Expression During Plasmodial Differentiation

      • Thomas Schreckenbach, Anne-K. Werenskiold

      Pages 131-150

   7. Biological Aspects of Motility

      • K.-E. Wohlfarth-Bottermann

      Pages 151-163

   8. Actin, Myosin, and the Associated-Proteins from the Physarum Plasmodium

      • Sadashi Hatano

      Pages 165-174

4. Motility: Experimental Investigations

   1. Inhibitory Ca²⁺-Regulation of the Physarum Actomyosin System

      • Kazuhiro Kohama, Setsuro Ebashi

      Pages 175-190

   2. Physarum Myosin Binds Ca²⁺: Results From Electrophoresis and Equilibrium Dialysis Experiments

      • Dietrich Kessler, Beverly K. Dolberg

      Pages 191-198

   3. Kinetics of Modulator-Act in Interactions: A Comparison of Physarum Fragmin with Actin Modulators from Different Muscle Types

      • Horst Hinssen, Frank E. Engels, Jochen D’Haese

      Pages 199-206

   4. A Nonpolymerizable Actin Derivative Regulates Actin Polymerization by Capping the Fast-Growing End of Actin Filaments

      • Hiroshi Maruta

      Pages 207-215

   5. Dynamics and Function of Microfilaments in Physarum polycephalum as Revealed by Fluorescent Analog Cytochemistry (FAC) and Electron Microscopy

      • Wilhelm Stockem, Jörg Kukulies

      Pages 217-224

   6. A Titin-Like Protein is Present in Physarum polycephalum — Present Knowledge

      • Dieter Gassner

      Pages 225-236

   7. Isolation of a Native Connectin-Like Protein from the Plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum and its Interaction with Myosin and Actin

      • Di Hua Hu, Sumiko Kimura, Tsuneo Suzuki, Koscak Maruyama

      Pages 237-241

5. Technical Feasibilities

   1. To Bring Molecular Genetics to the Study of Biological Motility in Physarum

      • William F. Dove

      Pages 243-251

   2. The Culture of Physarum Amoebae in Axenic Media

      • Jennifer Dee

      Pages 253-269

   3. A New Method for the Preparation of Highly Purified and More Native Nuclei Showing Stage-Specific Transcription of Actin and Tubulin Genes

      • Klaus-Dieter Nothacker, Anne-K. Werenskiold, Thomas Schreckenbach, Armin Hildebrandt

      Pages 271-280

One landmark in the long history of biological studies on the "slime mold" Physarum polycephalum was the introduction of chemi­ cally defined growth conditions for the plasmodial phase of this organism in the laboratory of Harold P. Rusch in Wisconsin in the 1950s. A number of investigators began working with Physarum in that era, then dispersed over the world. In the 1950s to 1960s, the regular meetings of Physarum workers in North America were commonly held in Wisconsin. Strong new scientific initiatives in Physarum have grown up independently, from the disciplines of genetics, cytology, photo­ biology, and biophysics, in countries scattered over the world from Japan to Poland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, and Great Britain. Infusion of the technical power of contemporary molecular biology--in particular, gene cloning and monoclonal antibodies--has brought these dispersed investigators into mutual communication. It was therefore timely and appropriate to assemble the Physarum community again in Wisconsin after a hiatus of 20 years, at a conference in the Friedrick Conference Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, from July 8 to 13, 1985.

• biology
• biophysics
• genetics
• molecular biology

• University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA

  William F. Dove

• University of Leicester, Leicester, England

  Jennifer Dee

• Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

  Sadashi Hatano

• University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

  Finn B. Haugli

• University of Bonn, Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany

  Karl-Ernst Wohlfarth-Bottermann

Policies and ethics