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Quantitative Studies of Metabolism in Phagotrophic Ciliates. I. Growth of Tetrahymena pyriformis W on Viable and on Killed Bacteria *
Author(s) -
DUCOFF H. S.,
WILLIAMS SISTER M.,
SYN TOH BEE,
BUTLER BARBARA D.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1964.tb01760.x
Subject(s) - tetrahymena pyriformis , ciliate , bacteria , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , population , tetrahymena , biochemistry , ecology , sociology , genetics , demography
SYNOPSIS.Tetrahymena pyriformis W, transferred from proteose peptone to bacterized Cerophyl, exhibited the same growth rate whether A. aerogenes, E. coli , or S. marcescens was the food organism. When T. pyriformis was suspended in sterile Cerophyl and fed various amounts of killed bacteria, the initial growth rate was the same as when viable bacteria were used, and the total increase in ciliate population was a function of the amount of bacterial protoplasm added. With Cerophyl concentrations below 0.1%, ingestion of the bacteria and reproduction of the ciliates were greatly reduced, suggesting a phagotrophy‐inducing factor in the Cerophyl. T. pyriformis resuspended in sterile Cerophyl can be fed washed killed bacteria for studies on various aspects of the metabolism of phagotrophic ciliates.