Isolation of strains of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum capable of growing after a single passage in axenic medium.

Wild-type strains of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum grow on bacteria. Axenic strains of D. discoideum capable of growing in a simple salts-yeast extract-proteose peptone-glucose medium have been isolated from wild-type strains fo both mating types after a single passage in this medium. This result is consistent with the theory that the axenic phenotype has a simple genetic basis.