Mating-type substances are key molecules in the sexual recognition of the odd (O) and even (E) complementary mating-type cells in Paramecium caudatum. Indirect evidence suggested that the substances were proteins and were located on ventral surface cilia. Monoclonal antibodies inhibiting the mating reactivity of the O cells have been obtained. Using these antibodies, we tried to detect antigen molecules as dot-blot signals. Strong dot-blot signals of antigens were only detected from the mating reactive cells, but they were not detected from the well-fed and starved cells without mating reactivity. In addition to identifying the antigen on cilia and cytoplasm of the O cell, the antigen was detected from the cytoplasm of the E cells but never from their cilia. Furthermore, extracts of the E cells induced mating reaction with the living E cells but not with O cells. Thus, the O mating-type substances exist in the cytoplasm of the E mating-type cells, supporting strongly the hypothesis that O mating-type substances are precursor molecules of the E mating-type substances.
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1 November 2001
Odd Mating-type Substances May Work as Precursor Molecules of Even Mating-type Substances in Paramecium caudatum
XUEHUA XU,
MICHIHO KUMAKURA,
EMI KAKU,
MIHOKO TAKAHASHI
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The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology
Vol. 48 • No. 6
November 2001
Vol. 48 • No. 6
November 2001
Ciliary membrane protein
conjugation pair
mating reaction
monoclonal antibodies
sexual recognition
sibling species