Genetic Heterogeneity in Wild Isolates of Cellular Slime Mold Social Groups

This study addresses the issues of spatial distribution, dispersal, and genetic heterogeneity in social groups of the cellular slime molds (CSMs). The CSMs are soil amoebae with an unusual life cycle that consists of alternating solitary and social phases. Because the social phase involves division...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microbial ecology 2010-07, Vol.60 (1), p.137-148
Main Authors: Sathe, Santosh, Kaushik, Sonia, Lalremruata, Albert, Aggarwal, Ramesh K., Cavender, James C., Nanjundiah, Vidyanand
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Dictyostelium
Dictyostelium - genetics
Dictyostelium - isolation & purification
Dictyostelium purpureum
DNA
DNA, Protozoan - genetics
Dung
Ecology
Feces
Feces - microbiology
Forest soils
Fruiting bodies
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genetic heterogeneity
Genetic structure
Genotypes
Geoecology/Natural Processes
Heterogeneity
India
Life Sciences
Microbial Ecology
Microbiology
Nature Conservation
Original Article
Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
Slime
Social conditions
Social groups
Soil Microbiology
Soil samples
Spatial distribution
Spores
Water Quality/Water Pollution
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Summary:This study addresses the issues of spatial distribution, dispersal, and genetic heterogeneity in social groups of the cellular slime molds (CSMs). The CSMs are soil amoebae with an unusual life cycle that consists of alternating solitary and social phases. Because the social phase involves division of labor with what appears to be an extreme form of "altruism", the CSMs raise interesting evolutionary questions regarding the origin and maintenance of sociality. Knowledge of the genetic structure of social groups in the wild is necessary for answering these questions. We confirm that CSMs are widespread in undisturbed forest soil from South India. They are dispersed over long distances via the dung of a variety of large mammals. Consistent with this mode of dispersal, most social groups in the two species examined for detailed study, Dictyostelium giganteum and Dictyostelium purpureum, are multi-clonal.
ISSN:0095-3628
1432-184X
DOI:10.1007/s00248-010-9635-4