How the spatial structure of Dictyostelium discoideum population is influenced by its environment

The transformation of the spatial structure of a Dictyostelium discoideum p opulation in response to environmental changes induced by this population w as investigated. A comparative analysis of the spatial and temporal charact eristics of the D. discoideum colony is given for two cases: (a) when the c olony is cultivated on a bacterial lawn, i.e. under conditions close to nat ural, and (b) in the absence of the bacterial lawn when the colony grows on the nutrient substrate enriched with folic acid. It is shown that the envi ronmental changes induced by cell metabolism modify the spatial structure o f the D. discoideum population first, the rate of population propagation fa lls drastically, which correlates with a decrease in the substrate pH; seco nd, the spatial redistribution of the D. discoideum cell density correlates with the redistribution of folic acid in the substrate. The mechanism of t he environment impact on the D. discoideum colony transformation is discuss ed.