Abstract
THE cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum (Dd) has proved suitable material for investigation of pattern formation. The morphogenetic field controlling Dd aggregation is now uniquely well characterised1–6. Whether its characteristics are unique or universal is not known. Here, I help to put the slime mould into a general perspective by comparing its pattern formation with that of another well studied organism. I have used grafting experiments to investigate secondary axis regulation in the Dd slug. The experiments parallel the use of grafts by Wolpert and collaborators to elucidate hypostome regulation in hydra7,8. They show that hydra and the slug use formally similar mechanisms for axis regulation. The known features of the Dd aggregation control system suggest that this does not account for axis regulation in the slug. (Details of the experimental procedure are given in Fig. 1 legend.)
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DURSTON, A. Tip formation is regulated by an inhibitory gradient in the Dictyostelium discoideum slug. Nature 263, 126–129 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/263126a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/263126a0
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