One landmark in the long history of biological studies on the "slime mold" Physarum polycephalum was the introduction of chemi­ cally defined growth conditions for the plasmodial phase of this organism in the laboratory of Harold P. Rusch in Wisconsin in the 1950s. A number of investigators began working with Physarum in that era, then dispersed over the world. In the 1950s to 1960s, the regular meetings of Physarum workers in North America were commonly held in Wisconsin. Strong new scientific initiatives in Physarum have grown up independently, from the disciplines of genetics, cytology, photo­ biology, and biophysics, in countries scattered over the world from Japan to Poland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, and Great Britain. Infusion of the technical power of contemporary molecular biology--in particular, gene cloning and monoclonal antibodies--has brought these dispersed investigators into mutual communication. It was therefore timely and appropriate to assemble the Physarum community again in Wisconsin after a hiatus of 20 years, at a conference in the Friedrick Conference Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, from July 8 to 13, 1985.

1: Introduction to Physarum.- Position Papers.- 2: Genetic Analysis in Physarumpolycephalum.- 3: Molecular Organization of the Physarum Genome.- 4: Temporal Order of Replication and Gene Expression in Physarumpolycephalum.- 5: The Physarum Cell Cycle.- 6: Cellular Transformations of Myxamoebae.- 7: Gene Expression During Plasmodial Differentiation.- 8: Biological Aspects of Motility.- 9: Actin, Myosin, and the Associated-Proteins from the Physarum Plasmodium.- Motility: Experimental Investigations.- 10: Inhibitory Ca2+-Regulation of the Physarum Actomyosin System.- 11: Physarum Myosin Binds Ca2+: Results from Electrophoresis and Equilibrium Dialysis Experiments.- 12: Kinetics of Modulator-Actin Interactions: A Comparison of Physarum Fragmin with Actin Modulators from Different Muscle Types.- 13: A Nonpolymerizable Actin Derivative Regulates Actin Polymerization by Capping the Fast-Growing End of Actin Filaments.- 14: Dynamics and Function of Microfilaments in Physarumpolycephalum as Revealed by Fluorescent Analog Cytochemistry (FAC) and Electron Microscopy.- 15: A Titin-like Protein is Present in Physarumpolycephalum - Present Knowledge.- 16: Isolation of a Native Connectin-Like Protein from the Plasmodium of Physarumpolycephalum and its Interaction with Myosin and Actin.- Technical Feasibilities.- 17: To Bring Molecular Genetics to the Study of Biological Motility in Physarum.- 18: The Culture of Physarum Amoebae in Axenic Media.- 19: A New Method for the Preparation of Highly Purified and More Native Nuclei Showing Stage-Specific Transcription of Actin and Tubulin Genes.- 20: Incorporation of Substances into Living Cells.- 21: Protocol for Microinjection of Macroplasmodia of Physarumpolycephalum.- 22: Gene Cloning and Construction of Genomic Libraries in Physarum.-23: Gene Cloning and Construction of cDNA Libraries in Physarum.- 24: cDNA Cloning of Physarumpolycephalum Stage-Specific mRNAs.- 25: Toward a DNA Transformation System for Physarumpolycephalum.- Epilogue: Physarum as an Integrated Experimental Organism.- Abbreviations.- Participants and Contributors.