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Directed Positioning of Micronuclei in Paramecium tetraurelia with Laser Tweezers: Absence of Detectible Damage After Manipulation
Author(s) -
AUFDERHEIDE KARL J.,
DU QING,
FRY EDWARD S.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1993.tb04476.x
Subject(s) - biology , optical tweezers , micronucleus test , paramecium , tweezers , microbiology and biotechnology , laser , bystander effect , immunology , optics , medicine , physics , toxicity
Possible covert damage from the use of the laser optical force trap (laser tweezers) to reposition micronuclei in Paramecium tetraurelia was assessed by measuring proliferation rates and postautogamous survival and mutation rates of cells after laser manipulations. No differences in subsequent daily proliferation rates among laser manipulated and various control classes of cells were seen. Similarly, the rates of postautogamous lethality and of “slow growth mutations” after repositioning of both micronuclei were not different from such rates in unmanipulated controls. In spite of extensive manipulations of micronuclei by the laser tweezers, there is no evidence of any damage induced by these manipulations. The laser tweezers therefore appears to be a tool of benign effect upon living cells, with tremendous potential use in many cell and developmental biological investigations.