Bull. Natn . Sci . Mus., Tokyo, Ser. 8 , 24(3), pp. 77- 80, September 22, 1998

Dictyostelids in Pakistan Ill. Dictyostelium aureocephalum Hagiwara
and D. macrocephalum Hagiwara, Yeh et Chien
Hiromitsu Hagiwara
Department of Botany, National Science Museum,4-1 - 1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305- 0005 Japan

Abstract Dictyostelium aureocephalum and D. macrocephalum were obtained
from Pakistan. Their descriptions, localities and noteworthy morphological features
were presented with illustrations of D. aureocephalum.
Key words:

cellular slime mold, d ictyostelid, Dictyostelium aureocephalum, Dic-tyostelium macrocephalum , Pakistan .

Dictyostelium aureocephalum Hagiwara was originally found in the alpine region of Nepal (Hagiwara, 1991 a) and was assumed to be endemic to the subalpine
and alpine regions of the Great Himalayas (Hagiwara, 1992b). On the other hand, D.
macrocephalum Hagiwara, Yeh et Chien was discovered in the lowlands of Taiwan(Hagiwara et al. , 1985) and was suggested to be a common species of the subtropicaland tropical regions in and around Asia (Hagiwara, 1991 b). Additionally, this species
was reported from the tropical forest of Peru (Landolt and Stephenson, 1991 ).
Dictyostelium aureocephalum and D. macrocephalum have been already reported from Pakistan (Hagiwara, 1992a). In this report, however, they were only enumerated and discussed in their ecological aspects. So their descriptions, localities andnoteworthy morphological features are presented here. Procedures of isolation, cultivation and observation are the same as those reported previously (Hagiwara, 1989,1992a). Twenty spores per isolate are used for calculating the mean spore diameter.
Range of mean spore diameters of the isolates examined is indicated by MD in thefollowing description.
Dictyostelium aureocephalum Hagiwara, Bull. Natn. Sci. Mus., Tokyo, Ser. B, 17:
103 (1991).
When cultured at 20°C on non-nutrient agar with Escherichia coli, sorocarps
often prostrate; sorophores 0.56- 2.92 (- 3.46) mm in length, with hook-like structuresat the points of contact with the agar if prostrate, with typically capitate to somewhat
clavate tips, 6- 19 f..lm in diam. at a level I00 f..lm above the bottom, 3- 16 J..Lm in diam.
at a level 50 J..Lm below the top; basal disk 14--45 J..Lm in diam .; sori yellow to yellowish white, 50- 150 (- 180)J..Lm in diam.; spores oblong, usually 1.5- 2.1 times longer

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Hiromitsu Hagiwara

than broad, mostly 5.5- 7.7 X3.3-4.1 (MD 6.0-7.0 X3.6-3.8)pm, without polar granules.
Isolates examined: Hagiwara PNS-59, 3,450 m alt., Rupal to Lato Bo, Mt.
Nanga Parbat, Jammu & Kashmir, 13 Sept. 1990; Hagiwara PNS-81 , 3,750m alt. ,Chilian to Mazeno Pass, Mt. Nanga Parbat, Jammu & Kashmir, 15 Sept. 1990; Hagiwara PFM-143 and 144, 3,200m alt. , Lowari Pass, Dir, Malakand, NWFP, 22 Sept.
1992.
Other isolates: Hagiwara PFH-26, 2,800 m alt., Batakundi, Mansehra, Hazara,
NWFP, 26 Aug. 1990; Hagiwara PFH-44, 3,120 m alt., Saiful Muluk, Mansehra,Hazara, NWFP, 27 Aug. 1990; Hagiwara PNS-66 and 69, ea. 3,600 m alt., Chilian toMazeno Pass, Mt. Nanga Parbat, Jammu & Kashmir, 15 Sept. 1990.
World distribution: Asia; Nepal , Pakistan.
Dictyostelium aureocephalum is characterized by its yellow sori (Hagiwara,1991 a). This feature was somewhat unstable in cultures of the non-nutrient agar
medium , namely, the yellowish tint tended to become paler. Such a tendency is shownin D. firmibasis Hagiwara (Hagiwara, 1989; Cavender and Kawabe, 1989).
Sorophore tips of Dictyostelium aureocephalum ranged from typically capitate
to clavate forms (Fig. I). The clavate form, however, seems to be a longitudinallylengthened shape of the capitate form, because its base becomes suddenly thickerthan its just under part of the sorophore.
A hook-like structure made by a prostrate sorocarp is conspicuously characteristic of Dictyostelium aureocephalum (Fig. 2A). The hook supports a standing portionof the sorocarp as like as a supporter, which is made in some dictyostelids such as D.

Fig. I.

Sorophore tips of Dictyostelium aureocephalum. Scale = I 0 J.lm.

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Dictyoste lids in Pakistan IllBAc

1.•Fig. 2. Dictyostelium aureocepha/um. A. Upper part of a prostrate sorocarp showing two hooklike structures. X240. B, C. Details of the hooks of Fig. 2A. X480. D, E. O ther hooks. X480.

mucoroides Brefeld and D. purpureum Olive (Hagiwara, 1989). However, the hookdiffers from the supporter not only in the shape but also in the structure consisting of
normal-sized cells (Figs. 28- 2E).

Dictyostelium macrocephalum Hagiwara, Yeh et Chien, Bull. Natn. Sci. Mus.,
Tokyo, Ser. 8 , I I: I 04-105 ( 1985).
When cultured at 20°C on non-nutrient agar with Escherichia coli, sorocarps
usually unbranched but sometimes branched irregul arly or in a monochasium-likemanner near the base; sorophores 0.38- 2.15 (- 3.36) mm in length, 9- 28 (-46).um indiam. at a level 100.um above the bottom, 3.5- 12 (- 18).Um in diam. at a level 50.um
below the top ; basal di sk 17- 76,um in diam. ; sori white, 40- 280 (- 340).um in diam .;spores oblong, usually 1.5- 2.0 times longer than broad, mostly 6.5- 9.3 X3.9- 5.2(MD 7.2- 8.5 X4. 1-4.8).um, without polar granules.
Isolates examined: Hagiwara PPI-8, 570 m alt. , Wah , Rawalpindi , Punjab, 7Sept. 1990; Hagiwara PPI-14 and 20, 550 m alt. , Islamabad, 7 Sept, 1990; Hagiwara
PPl-41 and 44, 620m alt. , Chakwal, Jhelum , Punjab, 23 Oct. 1991 ; Hag iwara PFM157 and 158, 1,910 m alt. , Kalash, Chitral, Malakand, NWFP, 24 Sept. 1992; Hagiwara PPK-4, 7 and 9, 350 m alt. , Peshawar, NWFP, 28 Sept. 1992; Hagiwara PFH293, Khanpur, Abbottabad, Hazara, NWFP, 19 Oct. 1992; PPI-67, Taxila, Rawalpindi ,Punjab, 19 Oct. 1992; Hagiwara PPI-72 , 88, 93 and I 00, 500- 650 m a it. , Islamabad,

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Hiromitsu Hagiwara

19 Oct. 1992; Hagiwara PPI-101 , 107, 125 and 127, 550- l ,050 m alt., Margalle
Hills, lslamabad, 20 Oct. 1992.
Other isolates: Hagiwara PPI- 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, 550m alt., Islamabad, 7 Sept. 1990; Hagiwara PPI-42, 620 m alt., Chakwal, Jhelum, Punjab, 23Oct. 1991 ; Hagiwara PFH-292, Khanpur, Abbottabad, Hazara, NWFP, 19 Oct. 1992;
Hagiwara PPI-66, 68, 69 and 70, Taxila, Rawalpindi , Punjab, 19 Oct. 1992; Hagiwara PPI-74, 75, 77, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 and 99, 500m alt., Islamabad, 19 Oct.
1992; Hagiwara PPI-62, 63, 64, 66 and 69, 550-1,050m alt., Margalle Hills, Islamabad, 20 Oct. 1992 .
World distribution: Asia; Japan, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Taiwan. S. America;
Peru.
Hagiwara PFM-157 produced exceptionally large sorocarps which hadsorophores exceeding 3 mm, but its other morphological features fitted those of theoriginal description.
Acknowledges
I thank Dr. H. Nagao of the Chiba University for collecting soil samples at Taxila. This study was supported by a Grant under the Monbusho International Scientific
Research Program (No. 02041091) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sportsand Culture, Japan.
References
Cavender, J. C. & K. Kawabe, 1989. Ce llul ar slime molds of Japan !. Distribution and biogeographicalconsiderations. Mycologia , 81: 683- 691.
Hagiwara, H. 1989. The Taxonomic Study of Japanese Dictyostelid Cellular Slime Molds. 131 pp.
National Science Museum, Tokyo.
Hagiwara, H. 1991a. Dictyostelium aureocephalum , a new dictyostelid ce llular slime mold from Nepa l.
Bull. Natn. Sci. Mus. , Tokyo , Ser. B, 17: 103- 107.
Hagiwara, H., 1991 b. A new species and some new records of dictyostelid cellular slime molds fromOman. Bull. Natn. Sci. M us., Tokyo, Ser. B, 17: I 09- 121.
Hagiwara, H., 1992a. Dictyostelid cellular slim e molds of Pakistan !. Distribution and occurrence in so ilsof forests , cultivated fields and alpine pastures. In T. Nakaike & S. Malik (eds.), Cryptogamic Floraof Pakistan Vol. I, pp. 87- 98 . National Science Museum, Tokyo.
Hagiwara , H., 1992b. Altitudinal distribution of dictyostelid cellular slime molds in the southern area ofMt. Nanga Parbat, Pakistan . In T. Nakaike & S. Malik (eds.), Cryptogamic Flora of Pakistan Vol. I,
pp. 99- 108. Nationa l Science Museum, Tokyo.
Hagiwara, H., Z .-Y. Yeh & C.- Y. Chien, 1985. Dictyostelium macrocepha/um , a new dictyostelid cellu larslime molds from Taiwan. Bull. Na tn . Sci. M us. , Tokyo , Ser. B, 11 : I 03- 108.
Landolt, J. C. & S. L. Stephenson, 1991. Cellular slime molds from tropical rain forests of Eastern Peru.
Crypt. Bot. , 1: 258- 260.