Isolation of haploid clones bearing a mating allele from a diploid apomictic isolate of Didymium iridis.

Clones of myxamoebae which fail to undergo a direct morphogenetic change into plasmodia have been isolated from cultures of the Philippine-1 isolates of Didymium iridis. These clones have been maintained continuously for a period of more than 4 years without producing plasmodia. It has been demonstrated by Feulgen-DNA cytophotometry that the mean nuclear DNA content of such clones is equivalent to the haploid replicated (2C) value. Conversely, myxamoebae which produce plasmodia directly have a mean nuclear DNA content which is equivalent to the diploid replicated (4C) value. The haploid Philippine-1 clones have been demonstrated to be cross compatible with isolates bearing the mating alleles A1, and A3 through A11, and incompatible with isolates bearing the mating allele A2. Furthermore, plasmodia which result from the crosses Ph-1n (A2) Hon 1-2 (A1), (A1), Ph-1n (A2) x Pan 2-4 (A7) and Ph-1n (A2) x Pan 2-7 (A8) have mean nuclear DNA values which are equivalent to the replicated diploid value, and produce spores which bear the mating alleles in the predicted ratios. Such data demonstrate that the Ph-1n clones are sexually compatible with haploid myxamoebae of heterothallic isolates. The significance of the isolation of these haploid clones with regard to a recent hypothesis related to the evolution of developmental systems in the Myxomycetes is discussed.