| Abstract: | In early log phase cultures of several of the drug-resistant mutants of Crithidia fasciculata that we have previously obtained, a high percentage of cells attach in pairs at the base of the flagellum. This process, which we have termed “flagellar adherence,” lasts for several hours in some cases and occasionally involves changes in cell morphology. The attachment occurs optimally in gently agitated cultures. Flagellar adherent pairs can be disassociated by vigorous agitation; the pairs reappear in the culture within one to three h after disassociation. These paired forms can be clearly distinguished from the normal cell division forms. Clones of flagellar adherent-competent mutant strains are uniformly able to form these pairs in culture. A low percentage of flagellar adherent forms can be induced in wild type cells by glucose starvation. |
