Codon Usage in Tetrahymena and Other Ciliates

Codon usage in ciliates was examined by analyzing the coding regions of 22 ciliate genes corresponding to a total of 26, 142 nucleotides (8, 714 codons). It was found that Tetrahymena, Paramecium and the hypotrichs ( Oxytricha and Stylonychia ) differed in which synonymous codons were used most frequently by their genes. In fact, the codon choices in highly expressed Tetrahymena genes were more similar to those of yeast genes than those of Paramecium genes. The ciliates do not appear to have unusually strong biases in codon usage frequency when compared to other protists such as yeast. The analysis of the Tetrahymena genes indicated that genes which are highly expressed during normal cell growth have a stronger bias towards using the "preferred" codons than those expressed at lower levels during growth or for brief periods during processes such as conjugation. This conforms to what is found in other protists.     

背联体贻贝棘尾虫的形态,形态发生及其调节现象

背联体贻贝棘尾虫的每一虫腹面含有相当于正常棘尾虫的腹面纤毛系统,背联两虫任意一侧属于一虫的背面有4列背触毛,它们的排列分布相似于正常棘昆虫的第1—4列背触毛,另一虫背面打2列背触毛,它们相似于正常棘尾虫的第5、6列背触毛。结果表明,背联体棘尾虫是其中两虫各以背面第4列和第5列背触毛之间的皮层区相联接形成的。也有的背联体中背部皮层联接区有变化。无性分裂中背联两虫皮层纤毛结构的形态发生相似于正常棘尾虫,并且两者其皮层纤毛器如口围带、额腹横棘毛、左、右缘棘毛和背触毛等相应结构的发育是同步进行的,推测背联两虫的皮层发育既是相对独立的,又有某种机制控制着相互间的协调。背联体棘昆虫在无性生殖周期中总是经历着一个调节成单体的过程,认为这于背联两虫都具有一套结构功能正常的运动胞器(特别是口围带),而产生向不同方向运动的“不协调”的力有关。     

贻贝棘尾虫(原生动物,纤毛门)镜像骈体自身各部移接的实验

棘尾虫是细胞表面具有特殊纤毛结构排列方式的复杂下毛类纤毛虫。其镜像骈体的两列纤毛结构几乎完全是左右对称排列 ,一个是正常方式排列的 ,另一个是相反方式排列。本文包括两项移接实验 :1)将棘尾虫口对镜像骈体一侧细胞的后半部分倒转 180°与另一侧细胞的前半部分对接 ;2 )将此种骈体一侧后半部分调转90°与另一侧细胞的前半部分对接。接后定时分期固定接块 ,以蛋白银染色法 ,观察其发育过程及结果。实验 1的发育结果为有的仍形成口对镜像骈体 ;有的成为末端对末端的镜像骈体。实验 2的发育结果为全部成为口对镜像骈体。两项实验结果均可用位置值假说解释 ,实验 1属于位置值插入的结果 ;实验 2为位置值添加的结果。为何实验Ⅰ有的发育成口对镜像骈体有的发育成末端对末端的镜像骈体 ,而实验 2却全部发育成口对镜像骈体呢 ?这是接块发育中是否发生对折的结果。Shietal.(1991)认为与预存的缘棘毛和是否具有完整表膜的面积大小有关系。接块在发育中是否发生对折与接块的伤口一侧面积大小和具完整表膜有关系。接块具完整表膜和缘棘毛的一侧由于新缘棘毛和口围带的发育生长 ,造成该侧的伸张 ,产生前后两接块向伤口一侧对折的压力 ,从而接块发生对折形成口对镜像骈体。我们认为还应有其它因素 :(1)与细胞     

Characterization of a family of repetitive sequences that is eliminated late during macronuclear development of the hypotrichous ciliate Stylonychia lemnae

A repetitive element from the hypotrichous ciliate Stylonychia lemnae was characterized by restriction and hybridization analysis. This repetitive element is present in about 5,000–7,000 copies per haploid genome in the micronucleus and the macronuclear anlagen. Its DNA sequence is very conserved, but the length of the repetitive sequence blocs is variable. In some cases, it is associated with telomeric sequences and macronucleus–homologous sequences. Restriction analysis of genomic micronuclear and macronuclear anlagen DNA and in situ hybridization showed that the repetitive sequences are amplified during the formation of polytene chromosomes. They are localized in many bands of the polytene chromosomes and are eliminated during the degradation of the polytene chromosomes. Possible functions of the repetitive sequences during macronuclear differentiation are discussed. Dev. Genet. 21:201–211, 1997.© 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

腹毛目纤毛虫鬃棘尾虫纤毛器基部微管的荧光标记

腹毛目纤毛虫鬃棘尾虫的纤毛器微管骨架由口围带、波动膜、额腹横尾棘毛、左右缘棘毛和背触毛等纤毛器微管和纤毛器基部附属微管等组成,其中口围带基部含小膜托架、小膜后微管、小膜托架微管及小膜托架间的倒"V"形微管连接;波动膜基部形成微管骨架网;额腹横棘毛和左、右缘棘毛基部含前纵微管束、后纵微管束和横微管束,但不同位置的棘毛基部微管发达程度不一样;背触毛基部以纤毛基体为中心向前、后皮层发出前纵微管和后纵微管,形成背皮层微管网.     

贻贝棘尾虫镜像骈体横切后前后切块再分别左右对折的实验

将贻贝棘尾虫镜像骈体横断后,再将前后切块的左右半细胞做对折骈接。前半部分切块对折后有６７％成为左右镜像对称骈体;有３３％形成末端对末端的镜像骈体,最后分开成为一正常虫体和一具有反向口围的单体虫。后半部分切块对折后基本上全部形成左右镜像对称骈体。这一事实可用位置值的添加理论来解释。但也显示出预存的缘棘毛在确定形成左右镜像对称骈体或末端对末端的镜像骈体中所起的重要作用。     

The Structure and Development of the Dorsal Bristle Complex of Oxytricha fallax and Stylonychia pustulata*

SYNOPSIS. Oxytricha fallax and Stylonychia pustulata possess 6 rows of dorsal bristle units. Each dorsal bristle unit consists of a pair of kinetosomes; the anterior kinetosome has a cilium and the posterior kinetosome a ciliary stub. The kinetosome pair, located at the bottom of a cortical pit surrounding the cilium and ciliary stub, is surrounded by an asymmetrical fibrillar mass. Future rows 1-4 are formed from 2 sets of primordia originating within mature dorsal rows 1-3. Rows 5 and 6 originate from the anterior regions of both right marginal cirral primordia. Old dorsal bristle units utilized in formation of primordia are presumably maintained in the new rows of the proter and opisthe; those outside the primordia are resorbed. The morphogenetic pattern of the Oxytrichidae is similar to those of the Urostylidae and Holostichidae, but quite different from that of the Euplotidae.     

Cisplatin induces modifications in the development of cell surface patterns of ciliates

Cisplatin [cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II)] brings about significant quantitative modifications in the development of cell surface patterns in two unrelated ciliates: Stylonychia and Tetrahymena. Cells cultured in the presence of cisplatin exhibit the formation of supernumerary surface structures in the form of extra cilia/cirri (fused cilia) and other organized ciliary organelles. The metal-induced formation of extra primordia and their differentiation into supernumerary ciliary structures is governed by the normal rules of development. Additional structures are accommodated within the framework of a defined pattern, suggesting the existence of an overall global control of pattern formation. The modified pattern is rectified to its normal state during post-treatment fission cycles, suggesting the role of the cell membrane in correcting developmental errors.     

下毛目分子系统进化研究和鬃棘尾虫再描述(纤毛动物门:下毛目:尖毛虫科)

作者自武汉东湖采集的样本中分离出鬃棘尾虫Stylonychia pustulata,利用活体观察与蛋白银染色技术进行了形态学研究,并测定了核糖体小亚基RNA基因全序列;以邻接法（Neighbor-Joining,NJ)和最大简约性法（Maximum Parsimony Method,MP)对该物种与GenBank中所有其它下毛目物种进行了分子系统发育分析。结果显示：所研究下毛目种类皆聚为一支,支持下毛目为单系观点;尖毛虫属和棘尾虫属物种聚类相互交错,因此结合形态学上分类标志的分析,对这两个属存在合理性提出异议,根据本文对同种不同种群的小腔游仆虫Euplotes aedicalatus、尖毛虫Oxytricha granulifera以及鬃棘尾虫Stylonychia pustulata分子进化分析。说明在研究系统问题时同时给出模式种的形态学及分子生物学两方面资料的必要性。