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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 960

Malgorzata Golembiewska and Stefan Radzikowski; Ultrastructure and some properties of the surface coat of Chilodonella steini and Chilodonella cucullulus. Arch.Protistenk 123:367-381, 1980

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Using specific staining and digestion by enzymes it has been shown that hyaluronic acid and other acid mucopolysaccharides are included in the composition of the surface coat in Chilodonella steini and Chilodonella cucullulus. In both species abrupt rejection of the surface coat from the whole cell surface and formation of pseudocysts take place as a result of the action of L. Light ribonuclease 4xcryst preparation. Partial destruction of the outer membranes of the pellicular alveoli was observed in electronograms of cells subjected to the action of this preparation. This reversible reaction is not connected with the action of RNAse itself as an enzyme, but probably by admixtures in it of a different character. This property was utilized to examine the role of the surface coat in the conjugation process. The absence of agglutination reaction in cells of opposite mating types deprived of their surface coat indicates that the receptors responsible for this process are present in this particular layer of the cell.