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The Effect of Puromycin and Cycloheximide on the Infection of Algae‐Free Paramecium bursaria by Symbiotic Chlorellae 1
Author(s) -
AYALA ALFRED,
WEIS DALE S.
Publication year - 1987
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.1550-7408.1987.tb03196.x
Subject(s) - ciliate , cycloheximide , algae , puromycin , biology , protein biosynthesis , paramecium , anisomycin , botany , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , ecology
It has been suggested that the infection of algae‐free Paramecium bursaria by symbiotic algae involves an induction in the ciliate. Such a process suggests a need for the synthesis of specific proteins. Therefore, an attempt was made to determine the role of protein synthesis during the initial phases of host‐symbiont interaction by examining the capacity of the ciliate to form a stable association with algae when the ciliate is exposed to puromycin (PURO) or cycloheximide (CYC) during the first 1–3 h of algal insestion. Cycloheximide (100 μg/ml) blocked algal but not ciliate growth and protein synthesis while PURO (250 μg/ml) appeared to inhibit these processes in both Puromycin significantly inhibited the infection when presented to the ciliate during the first hour of algal exposure and had little effect when added after that period. Inhibition of ciliate, as compared to the alga, protein synthesis appears to be significant in relationship to those processes leading to infection, as CYC when presented during the first hour of algae‐ciliate exposure has no inhibitory effects. Experiments on algal sugar secretion and ciliate ingestion of algae indicated that neither process was significantly affected by these inhibitors. These results point to a need for host protein synthesis during the initial phase of ingestion of algae which appears to be important to establishment of the symbiotic association.