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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 4299

Antonio Torres and Pilar Delgado; Effects of Cold and Nocodazole Treatments on the Microtubular Systems of Paramecium in Interphase. J.Protozool. 36(2):113-119, 1989

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The sensitivity of the microtubular systems to cold and nocodazole treatments as well as the cellular distribution of microtubules containing acetylated alpha-tubulin have been studied in Paramecium. Our results indicate that the microtubular systems of Paramecium show marked differences in stability. Cold and nocodazole treatments produce the depolymerization of the major part of the cytoplasmic microtubular network while the cortical structures remain stable under treatment. This differential stability of the microtubular systems is associated with the acetylation of the alpha-tubulin. The use of the antibody 6-11B-1, specific for acetylated alpha-tubulin, shows that the microtubular systems containing acetylated alpha-tubulin are the same as those that remain stable after depolymerizing treatments. Finally, the images obtained during the repolymerization by heating suggest that the cortical dikinetids are able to nucleate the microtubules of the cytoplasmic network.