Molecular and biochemical analysis of conjugation and adolescence in Tetrahymena thermophila
A previously unrecognized stage in the development of sexual maturity in Tetrahymena thermophila, adolescence, has been described. When the progeny of successfully mated cells are grown logarithmically, they are unable to form mating pairs for about 65 generations. This period is known as immaturity. During the next stage, adolescence, the progeny pair with mature cells but not with other adolescent cells despite the presence of complementary mating types. Adolescence persists for 20-25 generations before the cells attain maturity (the ability to mate with any cell of different mating type). Once paired with mature cells, adolescents successfully complete conjugation was shown genetically. Mating pairs formed between adolescent and mature cells are indistinguishable from those formed between mature cells by the criteria of cytology and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of proteins extracted from mating pairs pulse-labelled with (/sup 35/S)methionine. An analysis of proteins induced during the first ten hours of conjugation was carried out using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The protein patterns obtained from all controls were similar. The synthesis of numerous large and basic proteins were induced during conjugation. The majority of the proteins were detected during meiosis and none were mating type specific. A library of micronuclear DNA was constructed in the plasmic PUC18. The library was screened by differential colony hybridization using cDNA complementary to polyA/sup +/ RNA isolated from conjugating and control cells. Eight recombinant clones were isolated which contain sequences transcriptionally induced in conjugating cells.
- Research Organization:
- Brandeis Univ., Waltham, MA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7170731
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PROTEINS
BIOSYNTHESIS
TETRAHYMENA
BIOCHEMISTRY
REPRODUCTION
DNA
DNA-CLONING
ELECTROPHORESIS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MEIOSIS
METHIONINE
PLASMIDS
RECOMBINANT DNA
SULFUR 35
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL DIVISION
CHEMISTRY
CILIATA
CLONING
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DRUGS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
INVERTEBRATES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIPOTROPIC FACTORS
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEI
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PROTOZOA
RADIOISOTOPES
SULFUR ISOTOPES
SYNTHESIS
550401* - Genetics- Tracer Techniques
550201 - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques