Passage through the sclerotial stage does not impose persistent transcriptional reprogramming in Physarum.

Passage through the sclerotial stage does not cause lasting transcriptional reprogramming in Physarum species, with only transient gene expression changes observed in P. polycephalum.

• Why it matters: Understanding whether dormant structures like sclerotia induce permanent genetic changes is crucial for insights into organismal resilience and adaptation, yet this remains unclear for Physarum.
• What they did: The study compared transcriptomes of P. polycephalum and P. rigidum before and after sclerotium formation, analyzing differential gene expression across multiple replicates.
• The result: Findings show minimal or no persistent transcriptional changes post-sclerotium formation, suggesting that the dormant stage does not lead to large-scale or lasting gene expression reprogramming.