The Isolation and Identification of Kinetosome‐Rich Fractions from Tetrahymena pyriformis

B. SATIR, J. L. ROSENBAUM

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12 Scopus citations

Abstract

SYNOPSIS. Axenic cultures of Tetrahymena pyriformis W were used to obtain fractions rich in kinetosomes by alcoholdigitonin extraction techniques followed by centrifugation. The morphology of the kinetosomes was examined in the electron microscope at various stages during the isolation procedure, and compared to the morphology of the in situ kinetosome. In the latter preparation the well known cartwheel structure was present, and in addition 9 electron dense dots were displayed at the end of each spoke of the cartwheel. The prepared kinetosomes could easily be identified during the entire process, and there was no apparent change until after the digitonin step. However, with the further fractionation, alteration was found to have taken place in the interior and in the kinetosome wall. The inside appeared “empty,” and we were not able to find 9 triplets in the wall but only doublets. In view of the morphological alterations in the kinetosomerich fractions, chemical analysis still appears to us to be premature.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)397-405
Number of pages9
JournalThe Journal of protozoology
Volume12
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1965
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology

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