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Commun Integr Biol

Title:		Assessing the chemotaxis behavior of Physarum polycephalum to a range of simple volatile organic chemicals
Author(s):		de Lacy Costello BP; Adamatzky AI;
Address:		"Institute of Biosensing Technology; University of the West of England; Bristol, UK ; Unconventional Computing Group; University of the West of England; Bristol, UK"
Journal Title:		Commun Integr Biol
Year:		2013
Volume:		20130614
Issue:		5
Page Number:		e25030 -
DOI:		10.4161/cib.25030
ISSN/ISBN:		1942-0889 (Print) 1942-0889 (Electronic) 1942-0889 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The chemotaxis behavior of the plasmodial stage of the true slime mold Physarum Polycephalum was assessed when given a binary choice between two volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) placed in its environment. All possible binary combinations were tested between 19 separate VOCs selected due to their prevalence and biological activity in common plant and insect species. The slime mold exhibited positive chemotaxis toward a number of VOCs with the following order of preference: Farnesene > beta-myrcene > tridecane > limonene > p-cymene > 3-octanone > beta-pinene > m-cresol > benzylacetate > cis-3-hexenylacetate. For the remaining compounds, no positive chemotaxis was observed in any of the experiments, and for most compounds there was an inhibitory effect on the growth of the slime mold. By assessing this lack of growth or failure to propagate, it was possible to produce a list of compounds ranked in terms of their inhibitory effect: nonanal > benzaldehyde > methylbenzoate > linalool > methyl-p-benzoquinone > eugenol > benzyl alcohol > geraniol > 2-phenylethanol. This analysis shows a distinct preference of the slime mold for non-oxygenated terpene and terpene-like compounds (farnesene, beta-myrcene, limonene, p-cymene and beta-pinene). In contrast, terpene-based alcohols such as geraniol and linalool were found to have a strong inhibitory effect on the slime mold. Both the aldehydes utilized in this study had the strongest inhibitory effect on the slime mold of all the 19 VOCs tested. Interestingly, 3-octanone, which has a strong association with a 'fungal odor,' was the only compound with an oxygenated functionality where Physarum Polycephalum exhibits distinct positive chemotaxis"
Keywords:		Physarum polycephalum chemotaxis plasmodium terpenes volatile organic compounds (VOCs);
Notes:		"PubMed-not-MEDLINEde Lacy Costello, Ben P J Adamatzky, Andrew I eng 2013/11/23 Commun Integr Biol. 2013 Sep 1; 6(5):e25030. doi: 10.4161/cib.25030. Epub 2013 Jun 14"