Open AccessBEHAVIORAL MUTANTS IN PARAMECIUM CAUDATUM
Author(s) -
Mihoko Takahashi
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.792
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1943-2631
pISSN - 0016-6731
DOI - 10.1093/genetics/91.3.393
Subject(s) - paramecium caudatum , complementation , mutant , biology , heterozygote advantage , paramecium , mutagenesis , genetics , mutation , allele , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
Mutants of Paramecium caudatum with abnormal swimming behavior or responses to cations were obtained by mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Some of the mutants, like pawn in P. tetraurelia, cannot swim backward and are called CNR. Seven independently obtained CNR mutants belonged to three complementation groups, designated as cnrA, cnrB and cnrC. Some characteristics of double homo- and heterozygotes were compared with single homo- and heterozygotes. Other behavioral mutants shown to have a genic basis included K(+)-sensitive, temperature-shock behavioral and slow swimmer. All those mutants except for slow swimmer had lesions in the membrane because Triton-extracted models of them show almost the same swimming behavior as wild type.