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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 17: Physics of Physarum polycephalum and Other Slime Molds - Joint Focus Session (BP/DY) organized by Hans-Günther Döbereiner

DY 17.3: Vortrag

Dienstag, 21. März 2017, 10:15–10:30, SCH A251

Light stimuli trigger local and global cellular response in Physarum polycephalum — •Felix Bäuerle and Karen Alim — Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany

The slime mold Physarum polycephalum excels in adapting its network-like morphology to its environment. As a giant, single cell it is able to collect localised cues and form a complex organism-wide response. For example, Physarum can find the shortest path in a maze and connect sparse food sources to choose a balanced diet. How are localised cues collected, integrated and mediated over the whole organism to perform theses complex tasks? To tackle these questions we study Physarum’s pruning reaction to light stimuli. Physarum’s body consists of protoplasmic tubes which contract rhythmically. These contractions show distinct temporal patterns until pruning is completed. We found that Physarum shows a whole-cell response shortly after light application and then gradually transforms the illuminated region into an autonomous domain. Identifying the interplay between such global and local reactions may advance our understanding of more general processes like wound healing or cell signalling.