Myxomycete Diversity and Phylogenetic Analysis

Myxomycetes, commonly known as plasmodial slime moulds, represent a distinctive lineage of amoebozoan protists that cycle between unicellular amoeboid stages and conspicuous multicellular plasmodial and fruiting‐body forms. Their sporocarps (fruiting bodies) display remarkable morphological diversity, ranging from simple stalked structures to elaborate networks of veins and capillitium. Traditional taxonomy, based largely on spore morphology and fruiting‐body architecture, has been challenged by molecular data revealing widespread polyphyly and cryptic speciation. Multilocus sequencing, targeting regions such as small‐subunit ribosomal RNA, elongation factor-1α and mitochondrial markers, now underpins robust phylogenies that have prompted generic redefinitions and the recognition of previously overlooked lineages. Global field surveys, combined with environmental sequencing, have mapped biogeographical patterns and uncovered regionally endemic clades, overturning the long‐held “everything is everywhere” paradigm. Contemporary research emphasises integrative approaches that couple morphology, ecology and genomics to resolve species boundaries, trace evolutionary trajectories and explore ecological roles, including nutrient cycling, microbial predation and interactions with plants and fungi. Insights into myxomycete diversity also inform applied endeavours, from biotechnological exploitation of plasmodial biomaterials to management of crop and mushroom production systems where slime mould colonisation can inadvertently impede plant physiology.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A longitudinal study in alpine habitats employed next‐generation sequencing metabarcoding to compare soil‐dwelling myxamoebae communities with fruiting‐body records collected over four years. The analysis revealed strong concordance in community composition, even where fruiting bodies appeared sporadically. Species‐specific differences in relative abundance highlighted the influence of microclimatic factors, notably the timing and persistence of snow cover, on fructification patterns. This work demonstrated that direct environmental DNA profiling can capture the hidden diversity of soil‐resident stages and predict above‐ground manifestations, offering a powerful framework for monitoring protist biodiversity under changing climatic regimes.

Myxomycete Diversity and Phylogenetic Analysis publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in myxomycete diversity and phylogenetic analysis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Myxomycetes: A class of amoebozoan protists characterised by a life cycle that alternates between mobile amoeboid cells and multicellular plasmodia producing fruiting bodies.

Plasmodium: A multinucleate, motile mass of protoplasm in myxomycetes that forages on microbial prey before differentiating into sporocarps.

Sporocarp: The fruiting body of a myxomycete, bearing spores for dispersal; also referred to as a sporophore.

Phylogenetic analysis: The inference of evolutionary relationships among organisms using molecular sequence data and computational methods such as maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference.

Metabarcoding: High‐throughput sequencing of taxon-specific genetic markers from environmental samples to profile community composition without isolating individual organisms.

References

1. Multigene phylogeny of the order Physarales (Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa): shedding light on the dark-spored clade. Persoonia (2023).
2. Past and Ongoing Field-Based Studies of Myxomycetes. Microorganisms (2023).
3. Two New Species of the Genus Diderma (Physarales, Didymiaceae) in China with an Addition to the Distribution. Journal of Fungi (2024).
4. Slime molds (Myxomycetes) causing a “disease” in crop plants and cultivated mushrooms. Frontiers in Plant Science (2024).
5. A four year survey reveals a coherent pattern between occurrence of fruit bodies and soil amoebae populations for nivicolous myxomycetes. Scientific Reports (2018).