Factors Mediating the Vitamin B12 Requirement of Euglena

SYNOPSIS. Deprived of vitamin B₁₂, Euglena gracilis strain Z ceases to divide which we believe to be a function of the light regime: division inhibition occurs more quickly in continuous light than in alternating (6L : 6D) light and not at all in total darkness. This phenomenon is dependent on the carbon source; cells grown in glutamate-malate medium do not divide regardless of the culture conditions while dl -lactate as carbon source permits growth in darkness in the absence of B₁₂. Conditions which lead to an increased O₂ or decreased CO₂ tension in the medium, such as agitation in darkness or incubation in red or white light, result in inhibition of division. This inhibition can be reversed by re-transferring the cells to still culture in the dark or, in the case of light-induced blockage, by the addition of DCMU.