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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 3895

Dale S. Weis; Correlation of Sugar Release and Concanavalin A Agglutinability with Infectivity of Symbiotic Algae from Paramecium bursaria for Aposymbiotic P. bursaria. J.Protozool. 26(1):117-119, 1979

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Eighteen strains of algae, including 17 formerly symbiotic with Paramecium bursaria, were tested for capacity to release sugar. Detectable amounts of sugar were found in the supernatant fluids from 10 strains, including 6 strains infective for aposymbiotic P. bursaria syngen 2. The other 4 sugar-releasing strains were noninfective and released ~26-46 µg sugar/mg dry cell weight compared to ~90-175 µg sugar/mg dry cell weight for infective strains. This relationship of infectivity with capacity to release sugar supplements data that indicate a relationship of infectivity with resistance to Con A agglutination. The correlation is completed if we assume that resistance to Con A agglutination and capacity for sugar release must both be present in an algal strain for infectivity. The data thus strongly suggest that these 2 characteristics must be present for infectivity by any algal strains for aposymbiotic P. bursaria syngen 2.