Slime a plasmodioid variant ofNeurospora crassa

The slime variant of Neurospora is unique among the higher Fungi in growing on an agar surface by plasmodium-like outflows which are devoid of cell walls, and in which cells from older parts of an agar colony, and those in liquid culture, have very deficient cell walls. Heterocaryon studies indicate that the nucleus determines the slime phenotype. Genetic studies show that three independently inherited characters are essential to but insufficient for the slime phenotype. Some, but not all isolates with all three characteristics give rise to vegetatively derived isolates with stable slime phenotypes.Supported in part by grant G-6174 from the National Science Foundation, and in part by grant GM-06965 from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service.