Dehydration and self-cell cleaning by a single cell drives the formation of fruiting body of Lamproderma columbinum (Myxomycetes).

The noncellular complex structures of fruiting body produced by a multinucleate large plasmodium are the distinct character of Myxomycetes. Although the fruiting body distinguishes myxomycetes from other amoeboid single-cell organisms, it is unclear how such complex structures arise out of a single cell. The present study investigated the detailed process of fruiting body formation in Lamproderma columbinum , the type species of the genus Lamproderma , at the cellular level. A single cell excretes cellular waste and excess water during the formation of the fruiting body by controlling its shape, secreted materials, and organelle distribution. These excretion phenomena lead to the morphology of the mature fruiting body. The results of this study suggest that the structures of the L. columbinum fruiting body are involved not merely in spore dispersal but also in the process of dehydration and self-cell cleaning of the single cell for the next generation.