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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 3752

Donald L. Cronkite; A Role of Calcium Ions in Chemical Induction of Mating in Paramecium tetraurelia. J.Protozool. 23(3):431-433, 1976

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Conjugation in Paramecium tetraurelia can be induced within mating-reactive cultures of a single mating type by treating the cells with solutions of KCl + acriflavine in culture medium low in Ca2+. Gene mutations with known physiologic effect were used as selective inhibitors of cells surface membrane function to see which functions are necessary for chemical induction of conjugation. The results strongly suggest that a transient increase in the internal concentration of calcium at the very beginning of chemical induction is a necessary but not sufficient step.