When nutrients are provided uniformly, the nuclei in the plasmodium divide synchronously, accounting for the interest in using P. polycephalum as a model organism to study the cell cycle, or more specifically the nuclear division cycle. When the plasmodium is starved, it has two alternative developmental pathways.
When nutrients are provided evenly, the nuclei in the plasmodium divide synchronously, which is why P. polycephalum is a suitable model organism to study cell cycle, specifically nuclear division cycle. When the plasmodium is deprived of nutrients, it has two alternative developmental pathways.