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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 4829

Manfred Freiburg; Identification of Cell Surface Polypeptides of the Hypotrich Ciliate Euplotes octocarinatus. Arch.Protistenk 143:311-318, 1993

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Cell surface exposed polypeptides were investigated in the hypotrich ciliate Euplotes octocarinatus by labelling with the biotin derivative biotinyl-epsilon-aminocaproic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (BNHS). Approximately 30 polypeptides in the range of 10 to approximately 300 kDa were found to be exposed on the cell surface and essentially to be located on the ciliary cell membrane. Only one single polypeptide could be identified to be located on the somatic cell membrane. Despite of the possibility that the number of detectable polypeptides may be underestimated in total cells compared to isolated cilia, it is expected that the ciliary and somatic cell membrane differ in their protein composition. In addition, 21 polypeptides ranging in size from 14 to 110 kDa were shown to carry endogenous biotin. The number and size of these polypeptides is discussed with regard to the evolution of biotin-enzymes in eucaryotes.