The control of mitosis in Physarum polycephalum: the effect of delaying mitosis and evidence for the operation of the control mechanism in the absence of growth

Abstract

Possible mechanisms coordinating the control of mitosis and DNA synthesis with growth were experimentally tested in Physarum polycephalum by the response of plasmodia to 2 different kinds of perturbation of the DNA:mass ratio. Mitosis and DNA synthesis were delayed without stopping growth either by the use of fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) or puromycin, in both cases the delayed mitosis was followed by a single shortened intermitotic period, as predicted by all the mechanisms considered and substantiating a basic assumption made that the time of mitosis is homeostatically controlled to maintain a constant DNA:mass ratio. When more than 50% of the DNA was destroyed by ultraviolet irradiation 2 consecutive mitoses could occur even when growth was completely stopped by starvation. This result can only be accounted for by 2 of the 5 models considered, a finding which agrees with the results of previous experiments which were also consistent with only these 2 mechanisms.