Main Content

The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 4250

Alfred Ayala and Dale S. Weis; The Effect of Puromycin and Cycloheximide on the Infection of Algae-Free Paramecium bursaria by Symbiotic Chlorellae. J.Protozool. 34(4):377-381, 1987

Reprint

In File

Notes

It has been suggested that the infection of alge-free Paramecium bursaria by symbiotic algae involves an induction in the ciliate. Such a process suggests a need for the synthesis of specific proteins. Therefore, an attempt was made to determine the role of protein synthesis during the initial phases of host-symbiont interaction by examining the capacity of the ciliate to form a stable association with algae when the ciliate is exposed to puromycin (PURO) or cycloheximide (CYC) during the first 1-3 hr of algal ingestion. Cycloheximide (100 µg/ml) blocked algal but not ciliate growth and protein synthesis while PURO (250 µg/ml) appeared to inhibit these processes in both. Puromycin significantly inhibited the infection when presented to the ciliate during the first hour of algal exposure and had little effect when added after that period. Inhibition of ciliate, as compared to the alga, protein synthesis appears to be significant in relationship to those processes leading to infection, as CYC when presented during the first hour of algae-ciliate exposure has no inhibitory effects. Experiments on algal sugar secretion and ciliate ingestion of algae indicated that neither process was significantly affected by these inhibitors. These results point to a need for host protein synthesis during the initial phase of ingestion of algae which appears to be important to establishment of the symbiotic association.