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Direct Visualization of the Microtubular Cytoskeleton of Ciliated Protozoa with a Fluorescent Taxoid
Author(s) -
ARREGUI LUCÍA,
MUÑOZFONTELA CESAR,
SERRANO SUSANA,
BARASOAIN ISABEL,
GUINEA ALMUDENA
Publication year - 2002
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.1550-7408.2002.tb00376.x
Subject(s) - ciliate , biology , taxoid , protozoa , cytoskeleton , microtubule , ciliata , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , biochemistry , ecology , cell , genetics , chemotherapy , paclitaxel
. Visualization of the infraciliature, which is an essential tool for the identification of ciliate species, has traditionally been obtained with silver proteinate methods. Since infraciliature is mainly composed of microtubules, we used the synthetic fluorescent taxoid FLUTAX as a method for ciliate identification. The main advantages of this method are the facility and rapidity of its application and the fact that no previous fixation and permeabilization processes are required. FLUTAX may also be used as a probe to follow morphogenetical changes in the microtubular cytoskeleton during the ciliate life cycle.