Cytoplasmic Exchange without Gametic Copulation in the Water Mold Blastocladiella emersonii

Abstract

Conventional gametic fusions do not occur between (1), orange ("male") swarmers of either B. emersonii or a mutant strain (BEM) derived therefrom, and (2), colorless ("female") swarmers of B. emersonii. However, orange and colorless swarmers do conjugate through a cytoplasmic bridge for a brief period, carry on an exchange of cytoplasmic materials, and finally separate again as exconjugants. The existence of the bridge was established by direct microscopic observations, and the transfer of cytoplasmic ingredients was inferred from analyses of populations derived from the crosses.