One of my major interests is in the systematics of a group of simple mycetozoans known as protostelids. Morphological and molecular studies show that this group is related to the more commonly studied myxomycetes and dictyostelids cellular slime molds. The group is an ideal model system for studying the evolution of amoebal morphology. I am currently in the process of writing a reclassification of the group. For more information on protostelids, click here for keys and aids in identifying them. Presently, I am looking for students interested in working on the evolution of morphology in the group.

Several of my students, both graduate and undergraduate, and I have begun tackling questions concerning the habitats and microhabitats in which protostelids are found and what factors affect whether protostelids will colonize a given substrate.

• My recent PhD student, Dr. Donna Moore, developed a standardized technique for collecting protostelids which allows us to gather quantitative data on protostelids.  In short, she placed sterilized wheat straws in the environment and recorded the clones of protostelids that colonized them over time.  She used this technique to determine the habitat and microhabitat preferences of protostelids in temperate forests and grasslands and in different forest types in Puerto Rico. Several undergraduates have used Donna's technique to study the affects of substrate quality and location on the ability of protostelids to the substrate.
• My present graduate student, John Shadwick, has found that protostelids will colonize sterilized pieces of filter paper that have been placed in the environment.  By emending the filter paper with the addition of nutrients, he will be able to determine how protostelids and their prey  may respond to the nutrient quality of substrates.
• I am currently looking for students interested in carrying these projects forward.

I am curious about the distribution of protostelids and other simple slime molds. One question concerns the species richness of protostelids, dictyostelids, and acrasids on isolated oceanic islands.

• Starting in the fall of 1998, I have been working with Dr. Don Hemmes on the biota of protostelids and other simple slime molds in the Hawaiian Islands, particularly the Island of Hawai'i.  In the fall of 1999, Andrew Swanson joined the lab as a graduate student.  He has been focusing on the dictyostelids of Hawai'i.  To date, we have found that the protostelid biota of the Hawaiian Islands is very rich, including all but one or two of the described species and perhaps as many as 40 undescribed species.  The acrasid cellular slime mold, Acrasis rosea, is fairly common but may represent and introduced species.  Myxomycetes appear to be very common, based upon the fruiting and plasmodia that occur in our protostelid isolation plates.  Dictyostelids appear to be fairly uncommon.
• I have also carried out a preliminary study with Dr. Steven Stephenson on the protostelids of the subantarctic Macquarie Island. The results suggest that protostelids in plant litter on that island are all recognized species.
• I am presently looking for students who would be interested in studying the worldwide distribution of protostelids.

I have had an ongoing interest since my undergraduate years in the development of sexual organs in ascomycetes. This work has included studies of:

• the mating compatibility among different strains of the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides state of Glomerella cingulata carried out in collaboration with Dr. David TeBeest and Dr. Cindy Cisar,
• and a study of ascogonium development in Ascobolus stercorarius which is being prepared for publication.

I am interested in directing students who have interesting questions to ask concerning the systematics, ecology, and development of mycetozoans, fungi, and protists.

Spiegel, F.W. and L.S. Olive. 1978. New evidence for the validity of Copromyxa protea. Mycologia 70:843-847.

Spiegel, F.W., L.S. Olive, and R.M. Brown, Jr. 1979. Roles of actin during sporocarp culmination in the simple mycetozoan Planoprotostelium aurantium. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76:2335-2339.

Spiegel, F.W. and E.C. Cox. 1980. A one-dimensional pattern in the cellular slime mould Polysphondylium pallidum. Nature (London) 286:806-807.

Spiegel, F.W. 1981. Phylogenetic significance of the flagellar apparatus in protostelids (Eumycetozoa). BioSystems 14:491-499.

Spiegel, F.W. 1981. Phylogenetic significance of the flagellar apparatus of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa. J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 97:183-189.

Spiegel, F.W. 1982. The ultrastructure of the trophic cells of the protostelid Planoprotostelium aurantium. Protoplasma 113:165-177.

Spiegel, F.W. 1982. Mitosis in the protostelid Planoprotostelium aurantium. Protoplasma 113:178-188.

Spiegel, F.W. 1984. Protostelium nocturnum, a new, minute, ballistosporous protostelid. Mycologia 76:443-447.

Best, S.C. and F.W. Spiegel. 1984. Protostelids and other simple slime molds of Hueston Woods State Park. In: Hueston Woods State Park and Nature Preserve, Proceedings of Symposium, April 16-18, 1982. (G.E. Willeke, ed.). Miami University, Oxford, OH. 116-121.

Spiegel, F.W. and J. Feldman. 1985. Obligate amoebae of the protostelids: significance for the concept of Eumycetozoa. BioSystems 18:377-386.

Spiegel, F.W. andJ. Feldman. 1986. Mitosis in the protostelid Ceratiomyxella tahitiensis (Eumycetozoa). Can. J. Bot. 64:932-942.

Spiegel, F.W., J. Feldman, and W.E. Bennett. 1986. Ultrastructure and development of the amoebo-flagellate cells of the protostelid Protosporangium articulatum. Protoplasma 132:115-128.

Spiegel, F.W. and J. Feldman. 1988. The trophic cells of Clastostelium recurvatum, a third member of the myxomycete-like protostelids. Mycologia 80:525-535.

Cox. E.C., F.W. Spiegel, G. Byrne, J.W. McNally, and L. Eisenbud. 1988. Spatial patterns in the fruiting bodies of the cellular slime mold Polysphondylium pallidum. Differentiation 38:73-81.

Spiegel, F.W. and J. Feldman. 1989. Fruiting body development in the mycetozoan Echinostelium bisporum. Can. J. Bot. 67:1285-1283.

Spiegel, F.W. 1990. Phylum plasmodial slime molds, Class Protostelida. In: Handbook of Protoctista. (L. Margulis, J.O. Corliss, M. Melkonian, and D. Chapman, eds.). Jones and Bartlett, Boston. 484-497.

Spiegel, F.W. 1991. A proposed phylogeny of the protostelids. BioSystems 25:113-120.

Spiegel, F.W. and J. Feldman. 1991. Microtubular cytoskeletons of the trophic cells of five eumycetozoans. Protoplasma 163:189-198.

Xia, J-Q., F.N. Lee, K.S. Kim, and F.W. Spiegel. 1993. Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to conidial antigens of Pyricularia grisea. Exper. Mycol. 17:170-181.

Spiegel, F.W. and J. Feldman. 1993. Fruiting body ultrastructure in the protostelid Schizoplasmodiopsis vulgare. Mycologia 85:894-897.

Cisar, C.R., F.W. Spiegel, D.O. TeBeest, and C. Trout. 1994. Evidence for mating between isolates of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides with different host specificities. Current Genetics 25:330-335.

Spiegel, F.W. 1994. Review of: Nannenga-Bremekamp N.E. (1991): A Guide to the Temperate Myxomycetes. Translated by Feest A. and Burggraaf Y. Biopress Limited, Bristol, 409pp. ISBN 0 948737-12-3. Eur. J. Protistol. 30:126-127.

Cisar, C.R., D.O. TeBeest, and F.W. Spiegel. 1994. Sequence similarity of mating type idiomorphs: A method which detects similarity among the Sordariaceae fails to detect similar sequences in other filamentous ascomycetes. Mycologia 86:540-546.

Spiegel, F.W., S.C. Gecks, and J. Feldman. 1994. Revision of the genus Protostelium (Eumycetozoa) I: the Protostelium mycophaga group and the P. irregularis group. J. Eukaryotic Micro. 41:511-518.

Rusk, S., F.W. Spiegel, and S.B. Lee. 1995. Design of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers for amplifying nuclear ribosomal DNA from slime molds. Mycologia 87:140-143.

Spiegel, F. W., D.L. Moore, and J. Feldman. 1995. Tychosporium acutostipes, a new protostelid which modifies the concept of the Protosteliidae. Mycologia 87:265-270.

Moore, D.L. and F.W. Spiegel. 1995. A new technique for sampling protostelids. Mycologia 87:414-418.

Spiegel, F.W., S.B. Lee, and S.A. Rusk. 1995. Eumycetozoans and molecular systematics. Can. J. Bot.73:s738-s746.

Spiegel, F.W., S.L. Stephenson, H.W. Keller, D.L. Moore, and J.C. Cavender. (in press). Sampling the biodiversity of mycetozoans. In: Measuring and Monitoring the Biodiversity of Fungi. (G. Mueller et al., eds). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC.

Spiegel, F.W. and S.L. Stephenson.  2000.  Protostelids of Macquarie Island.  Mycologia 92:849-852.

Moore, D.L. and F.W. Spiegel.  2000.  The effect of season on protostelids communities.  Mycologia 92:599-608.

Moore, D.L. and F.W. Spiegel.  2000.  Microhabitat distribution of protostelids in tropical forests of the Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico.  Mycologia 92:616-625.

Moore, D.L. and F.W. Spiegel.  2000.  Microhabitat distribution of protostelids in temperate habitats in northwest Arkansas.  Can. J. Bot. (in press).