Open AccessThe isolation of gamones 3 and 4 of Euplotes octocarinatus
Author(s) -
DIECKHOFF Hubert SCHULZE,
FREIBURG Manfred,
HECKMANN Klaus
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1987.tb13391.x
Subject(s) - mating type , biology , allele , cell culture , biochemistry , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
Gamones 3 and 4 of the ciliate Euplotes octocarinatus were isolated and purified to chromatographic and electrophoretic homogeneity. They are secreted into the culture medium by cells of certain mating types and induce cells of other mating types to unite in pairs and exchange gametic nuclei. The purified gamones are biologically active at concentrations as low as 0.1–1 pM. Both are polypeptides with unusually low pI values of approximately 3.2, and both have a carbohydrate content of less than 2%. Gamone 3 has an M r of 18800 and is slightly smaller than gamone 4, which has an M r of 23500. Gamone 3 was isolated from the starvation medium of cells homozygous for the mating type allele mt 3 and gamone 4 was isolated from the medium of cells homozygous for the mating type allele mt 4 . Each of the two homozygous cell lines was found to secrete one gamone only.