Cell Biology of Physarum and Didymium V2

Cell Biology of Physarum and Didymium, Volume II: Differentiation, Metabolism, and Methodology summarizes important experimental research using Physarum and Didymium for developmental and cellular studies. This book is organized into three parts, encompassing 28 chapters that cover the differentiation, metabolism, and experimental techniques for cellular studies.
After presenting an introduction to some aspects of developmental biology, this volume describes the ultrastructure and physiology of sporulation, spore germination, encystment, excystment, spherulation, and spherule germination. This is followed by a discussion on regulatory events leading to morphogenesis and on biochemical, physiological, and structural data on the amoeboid stage. The second part focuses on metabolic aspects. This includes metabolic characteristics of myxomycetes; the formation of nucleotides in Physarum by de novo synthesis and from nucleic acid degradation products; and radiation and radiomimetic agents on myxomycete species. Considerable chapters in the concluding part are devoted to procedures and protocol for isolation of cell components from Physarum and Didymium species. This volume also evaluates some techniques, including electron microscopy, time-lapse microcinematography, phase-contrast microscopy, Feulgen staining, and culture methods. The concluding chapters examine the preparation, isolation, and characterization of ribonucleic acid, histone, plasmodial polysaccharides, myosin, actins, and fragmin.
The book will serve as a frequent, single reference source to brief cell biologists on the primary research on Physarum and Didymium. It will also be a good source for graduate students in cell biology and perhaps in other graduate courses.

Contenu

Contributors

Preface

Contents of Volume I

Part I. Differentiation

1. Developmental Biology of Slime Molds-An Overview

   I. Introduction

   II. Life as a Plasmodium

   III. Amoeba-Flagellates

   References

2. Sporangia, Spherules, and Microcysts

   I. Introduction

   II. Sporulation

   III. Spore Germination

   IV. Spherules

   V. Microcysts

   References

3. Enzyme and Protein Synthesis during Differentiation of Physarum polycephalum

   I. Introduction

   II. Enzyme and Protein Synthesis during Spherulation

   III. Enzymes during Sporulation

   IV. Differential Enzyme Expression and Regulation during the Transition from Amoebae to Plasmodia

   V. Conclusions and Outlook

   References

4. Myxamoebae: Structure and Physiology

   I. Introduction

   II. General Cell Structure

   III. Myxamoeboid Cell Division

   IV. Biochemistry of Myxamoebae

   V. Motility

   VI. Summary

   References

Part II. Selected Metabolic Topics

5. General Metabolism

   I. Carbohydrate Metabolism-Pathways

   II. Mitochondrial Respiration

   III. Nitrogen Metabolism

   IV. Cyclic Nucleotides

   V. Lipids

   VI. Polymers

   VII. Conclusions

   References

6. Nucleotide Metabolism in Physarum polycephalum

   I. Formation of Nucleotides

   II. Metabolism of Nucleotides and Nucleosides

   III. Levels of Nucleoside Triphosphates during the Division Cycle of Surface Plasmodia

   IV. Areas of Interest for Future Research

   References

7. Radiation Biology of the Myxomycetes

   I. Introduction

   II. Physiological Responses to Radiation (Plasmodia)

   III. Lethal Effects of Radiation

   IV. Cell Cycle Studies

   V. Mutagenesis with Ultraviolet Light

   VI. Concluding Remarks

   References

Part III. Basic Experimental Techniques

8. Preparation of Spherules

   I. Materials

   II. Procedures

   III. Tips and Modifications

   References

9. Low-Temperature Preservation of Amoebae

   I. Procedure

   II. Further Comments

   References

10. MNNG Mutagenesis and Some Technical Approaches to Mutant Isolation in Physarum

    I. Introduction

    II. Notes on Handling MNNG

    III. Alternative Approaches to MNNG Mutagenesis

    IV. Mutant Isolation following Mutagenesis

    References

11. EMS Mutagenesis of Amoebae of Physarum polycephalum

    I. Introduction

    II. Method

    III. Results

    References

12. Electron Microscopy Techniques

    I. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)

    II. Freeze Fracture

    III. Nuclei

    IV. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

    References

13. Time-Lapse Analysis of Mitosis in Vivo in Macrosplasmodia of Physarum polycephalum

    I. Introduction

    II. Materials

    III. Procedure

    References

14. Illustrated Guide to Phase-Contrast Microscopy of Nuclear Events during Mitosis and Meiosis

    I. Introduction

    II. Nuclear Isolation

    III. Phase-Contrast Microscopy of Swelled Nuclei

    IV. Fluorescence Microscopy

    V. Preparation of Spores for Phase-Contrast Light Microscopy

    References

15. Recognition of Mitosis

    Text

    References

16. Feulgen Staining

    I. Introduction

    II. Reagents

    III. Reagent Formulas

    IV. Fixation

    V. Staining

    VI. Standards

    VII. Sample Data

    References

17. Preparation of Nuclei and Nucleoli

    I. Nuclei

    II. Nucleoli

    References

18. Preparation of Ribosomes and Polyribosomes from Physarum polycephalum

    I. Introduction

    II. Reagents, Equipment, General Procedures, and Precautions

    III. Detailed Protocol

    IV. Analysis of Results

    V. Comparative Considerations

    References

19. Preparation of Ribosomal DNA

    I. Introduction

    II. Equipment and Reagents

    III. Procedure

    IV. Specificity and Limitations

    V. Trouble Shooting

    References

20. Preparation of Ribonucleic Acid from Physarum polycephalum

    I. Introduction

    II. Itemization of Special Reagents

    III. Methods

    References

21. Isolation of Histones

    I. Materials

    II. Procedure

    III. Tips and Modifications

    References

22. Preparation and Characterization of Plasmodial Polysaccharides

    I. Preparation of Extracellular Polysaccharide (Galactan)

    II. Preparation of Nuclear Polysaccharide (Galactan)

    III. Preparation of Spherule Wall Polysaccharide (a-D-Galactosaminoglycan)

    IV. General Analytical Methods

    V. Methylation of Polysaccharides

    VI. Results

    References

23. Preparation of Myosin from Physarum polycephalum

    I. Principles

    II. Method 1

    III. Method 2

    References

24. Preparation of Actin and Fragmin

    I. Actin

    II. Fragmin

    References

25. Composition of a Plasmodium

    Text

    References

26. Annotated Diagram of Selected Life Cycle Events

    I. Introduction

    II. Summary of Life Cycles

    III. Selected Features of the Life Cycle

    IV. Conclusion

    References

27. Annotated Cell Cycle

    I. Introduction

    II. Definition-The Transition Point

    References

28. Culture Methods

    I. Introduction

    II. Crude Culture

    III. Monoxenic Culture

    IV. Axenic Culture

    V. Special Methods for Large-Scale Growth of Plasmodia

    References

Index