The Possible Involvement of Cyclic AMP and Volatile Substance (s) in the Development of a Macrocyst-Forming Strain of Dictyostelium mucoroides: (cyclic AMP/pH/macrocyst/differentiation/Dictyostelium mucoroides).

A mutant MF1 previously isolated from Dictyostelium mucoroides-7 (Dm7) formed macrocysts with or without light when plated on agar at high cell dinsities. At lower cell densities, however, the MF1 cells formed only fruiting bodies. This failure to form macrocysts was shown to be due to the subthreshfold concentration of a volatile substance(s) required for macrocyst formation.