A New Mating Compatibility Locus in PHYSARUM POLYCEPHALUM

The rate and extent of plasmodium formation were studied in mating tests involving pairs of largely isogenic amoebal strains compatible for mating-type (mt) alleles. A systematic variability was observed: plasmodia formed either rapidly and extensively or slowly and inefficiently. Plasmodium formation was found to be 10³- to 10⁴-fold more extensive in "rapid" crosses than in "slow" crosses. A genetic analysis revealed that the variability reflects the influence of a multiallelic compatibility locus that determines mating efficiency. This compatibility locus (designated matB), together with the original mating type locus, mt (in this work designated matA), constitute a tetrapolar mating specificity system in Physarum polycephalum.