Molecular cloning of mRNAs expressed specifically during spherulation of Physarum polycephalum.

A cDNA library was constructed using the poly(A)+ RNA extracted from spherulating Physarum polycephalum microplasmodia. This library (740 clones) was screened by differential hybridization with 32P-labeled poly(A)+ RNA from growing plasmodia and developing spherules. The results showed that at least 30% of the clones corresponded to mRNAs expressed specifically in spherulating plasmodia. The 35 spherulation-specific cDNA clones giving the strongest hybridization signals were analysed. From this group, four different sequences complementary to very abundant mRNAs were identified. They each accounted for 1.5% of 4.5% of all the clones in the library and probably represented the most abundant spherulation-specific mRNAs. In addition, four less abundant mRNAs were identified from stage-specific clones giving weaker hybridization signals. These sequences represented individually between 0.3% and 0.7% of the clones in the library. Northern blots showed that these eight different sequences were absent from plasmodia and were most abundant 24-36 h after the induction of spherulation. Similar results were also obtained when spherulation was induced by the addition of a sublethal concentration of ferrous iron ions to the growth medium. Hybridization of the spherule-specific clones to Southern blots of genomic DNA suggested the presence of one copy for each gene.