Acrasiomycota

Taxobox
name = Acrasid Slime Molds
domain = Eukaryota
regnum = Excavata
superphylum = Discicristata
phylum = Percolozoa
phylum_authority = Cavalier-Smith 1991
classis = Heterolobosea
classis_authority = Page & Blanton 1985
familia = Acrasidae

Acrasiomycota is a phylum of slime molds which belongs to the protist group Discicristata. The name acrasio- comes from the Greek "Akrasia", meaning "acting against one's judgement." This group consists of cellular slime molds.

Some would also consider it as a kingdom unto itself, but the debate is as of yet unsettled.

Reproduction

When resources, such as water or food become limiting, the amoeba will release pheromones such as acrasin to aggregate amoebal cells in preparation for movement as a large (thousands of cells) grex or pseudopod. When in the grex, the amoeboids reproduce sexually, resulting in fruit-like structures called spores, which develop into unicellular molds of the same species.

References

*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