[A study on the microtubular organelle of cortical ciliature of the soil ciliate Territricha stramenticola].

Abstract

The microtubular organelles in the cortical ciliature of the soil ciliate Territricha stramenticola were visualized by direct fluorescent labeling of FLUTAX and immuno-fluorecent labeling using anti-alpha tubulin antibody. The distribution pattern of base-associated microtubules were found to be in accordance with that of adoral zone membranelles (AZM), undulating membranes (UM), frontal-ventral-transverse cirri (FVTC), left-right marginal cirri (L-RMC) and dorsal kineties (DK). The cytoskeleton of AZM and UM was composed of membranelle brackets, membranelle-associated microtubules and the skeleton of UM. The anterior longitudinal microtubules (ALM), posterior longitudinal microtubules (PLM) and transverse microtubules (TM) were located in the basal part of FVTC. ALM, PLM, TM and sprouted microtubules (SM) were situated in the basal parts of LMC and RMC. ALM and PLM were visualized in the basal part of DK. The base of transverse cirri (TC) contained comparatively developed bundles of TM. The occurence of SM and the location of TM in the basal parts of L-RMC might be of species specificity. The microtubules and a layer of microtubule bellow cell's cortex could be used to combine the microtubular cytoskeleton network with cell's various ciliatures used for movement. The presence of these microtubular structures might be one of the cell's adaptive characteristics to soil environment. The microtubules of old AZM were found to be renewed progressively during morphogenesis. The microtubular organelles of old ciliatures might play an important role in the location and substance supply of new structures when these structures begin to occur and develope. During the period of defferetiation and maturation of the new structures, the old ciliatures seemed to play a similar role when they gradually desintegrated and disappeared.