Myxomycota

Taxobox
name = Plasmodial Slime Molds

---

image_width = 220px
image_caption = "Diderma testaceum"
domain = Eukaryota
regnum = Amoebozoa
phylum = Myxomycota
subdivision_ranks = Classes
subdivision =
Ceratiomyxomycetes
Echinosteliomycetes
Myxogasteromycetes
Stemonitomycetes

"Myxomycota" is a phylum of the Kingdom Amoebozoa related to protists. The name comes from the Greek "Myxo", meaning "slime", and mycota, meaning fungus. They are also known as the plasmodial or acellular slime molds.

Some would also consider "myxomycota" as a kingdom unto itself, with an unsettled phylogeny because of conflicting molecular and developmental data.

Life Cycle

When a "Myxomycota" spore germinates, it cracks, releasing an amoeba-like cell called a myxamoeba. The myxamoeba moves like an amoeba, and ingests food via phagocytosis. Its food can include microorganisms and nonliving organic matter. The myxamoeba will divide as it eats. When two myxamoeba of different mating strains (of different populations) find each other, they will merge, forming a zygote. The zygote itself will not divide, but rather it will grow as its nucleus divides, forming a large, multinucleate cell called a plasmodium. The plasmodium will continue to consume organic matter through phagocytosis. After some time, the plasmodium will travel to an open area and convert into a spore-bearing structure called a sporangia. Spores will be released.

Reproduction

"Myxomycota" can form swarm cells that aggregate, fuse, form a sporangia, sporulate, and return to amoebal or swarm cell stages. The "Myxomycota" themselves are haploid, and can switch between amoeboid and flagellated forms. The gametes fuse into a zygote, which then becomes a plasmodium, which can produce fruit-like spores.

ee also

*Acrasiomycota
*Dictyosteliomycota

References

*www.cit.gu.edu.au/~sosic/reports/CIT-95-14.ps.Z
*C.J. Alexopolous, Charles W. Mims, M. Blackwell et al., "Introductory Mycology, 4^th ed." (John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken NJ, 2004) ISBN 0-471-52229-5
*http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/Bot201/Myxomycota/Myxomycota.htm