A temperature-sensitive mutation affecting cilia regeneration, nuclear development, and the cell cycle of Tetrahymena thermophila is rescued by cytoplasmic exchange

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1128/MCB.8.7.2681· OSTI ID:6393904

Pennock, D G; Thatcher, T; Gorovsky, M A ^[1]

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1. Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, NY (US)

A temperature-sensitive mutation was isolated that blocks cilia regeneration and arrests growth in Tetrahymena thermophila. Protein and RNA synthesis and ATP production appeared to be largely unaffected at the restrictive temperature, suggesting that the mutation is specific for cilia regeneration and growth. At the restrictive temperature, mutant cells arrested at a specific point in the cell cycle, after macronuclear S phase and shortly before micronuclear mitosis. Arrested cels did not undergo nuclear divisions, DNA replication, or cytokinesis, so the mutation appears to cause true cell cycle arrest. Surprisingly, the mutation des not appear to affect micronuclear mitosis directly but rather some event(s) prior to micronuclear mitosis that must be completed before cells can complete the cell cycle. The cell cycle arrest was transiently complemented by wild-type cytoplasm exchanged during conjugation with a wild-type cell. Each starved, wild-type cell apparently contained enough rescuing factor to support an average of six cell divisions. Thus, this mutation affects assembly and/or function of at least one but not al of the microtubule-based structures in T. thermophila.

• OSTI ID: 6393904
• Journal Information: Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States), Journal Name: Mol. Cell. Biol.; (United States) Vol. 8:7; ISSN MCEBD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550300 -- Cytology
550400 -- Genetics
560200* -- Thermal Effects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
ATP
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL CYCLE
CILIATA
DATA
DNA REPLICATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GENE MUTATIONS
INFORMATION
INVERTEBRATES
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
MICROTUBULES
MUTATIONS
NUCLEIC ACID REPLICATION
NUCLEOTIDES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTOZOA
SENSITIVITY
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TETRAHYMENA