VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2 (July to December 2014)

PSL%202014 vol07-no02-p331-336%20Macabago

Philipp. Sci. Lett. 2014 7 (2) 331-336
available online: October 12, 2014

*Corresponding author
Email Address: sittieaisha@gmail.com
Received: December 11, 2013
Revised: June 5, 2014
Accepted: July 31, 2014

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SHORT COMMUNICATION

Preservation and extracellular enzyme production of myxomycetes from Lubang Island, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines

by Sittie Aisha B. Macabago*¹ and Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz^1,2

¹The Graduate School, and
²Fungal Biodiversity and Systematics Group,
Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences,
University of Santo Tomas, Espanña 1015 Manila, Philippines

In vitro culture of myxomycetes offers potential application for the mass production of their natural products. We grew in vitro 18 species of myxomycetes on a modified, solid, semi-defined medium (SDM) for up to 4 weeks. Of these, 10 developed into amoeboflagellates after germination on diluted semidefined medium (dSDMA) and/or sterile water, while 7 grew into plasmodia. The amoeboflagellates were preserved in 15% glycerol and stored for 3 months at 5oC. Revival of the preserved amoeboflagellates resulted in a 90% success rate. This is the first attempt to store and preserve amoeboflagellates of myxomycetes. In vitro-grown plasmodia of P. compressum and plasmodia derived from sclerotia of unidentified myxomycetes were also tested for their ability to produce extracellular enzymes. Results showed the species excreted amylase and protease. This finding suggests an alternative mode of nutrition for myxomycetes in addition to the phagotrophic mode of nutrition known for these organisms.