Parasexual Genetics in Dictyostelium discoideum: Mitotic Analysis of Acriflavin Resistance and Growth in Axenic Medium

Abstract

SUMMARY: Drug resistant mutants of the slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum useful for mitotic genetic analysis have been studied. Mutations to acriflavin resistance are recessive and have been assigned to two genes (acrA, acrB) located in different linkage groups. One of these (acrA) confers resistance to the unrelated compounds methanol and thiabendazole. Ability to grow axenically (in the absence of bacteria) is determined by genes on two linkage groups, one carrying acrA and the other an established temperature sensitive mutation. Preliminary results for two linkage groups show that the sequence of genes on a linkage group can be determined by analysis of homozygous drug resistant diploids, obtained by drug selection from diploids heterozygous for recessive drug resistance markers.