Comparative studies on holotrichous ciliates in the Colpidium-Glaucoma-Leucophrys-Tetrahymena group

Abstract

In the last 30 years, at various laboratories in the United States, France and England, many strains of small holotrichous ciliates have been established in axenic culture for use in a widening variety of investigations of a physiological or biochemical nature. Since few of these organisms have been adequately described or properly identified by the workers employing them, thus making difficult meaningful comparison of the various experimental results reported, the need for morphological and taxonomical study has become increasingly apparent. At least twenty-nine such axenic strains of ciliates, considered members of a ‘Colpidium-Glaucoma-Leucophrys-Tetrahymena group’ because it has been principally to these four genera that the protozoa have been assigned in the past, are still in existence and twenty-six of them were collected for use in the present investigation. For accurate identification of such relatively undifferentiated ciliates the use of silver nitrate impregnation techniques, the value of which was recognized some years ago by Klein (1926) and stressed by Furgason (1940), is re-emphasized as being nearly indispensable. Details of buccal organelles and differentiated pellicular structures in other parts of the body are revealed precisely and with constancy.

Observations on the Fine Structure of the Macronucleus of Tokophrya Infusionum

“…The food organism, axeuic Tetrahymcna py~iformls (12) grown in a proteose-peptone agar medium, was introduced into the cultures every 2nd day. Subculturing was performed on an average of once a week.…”

Taxonomy and ecology of some ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) of the saprobic system. III. Revision of the genera Colpidium and Dexiostoma, and establishment of a new genus, Paracolpidium nov. gen.

“…striatum' represent in reality members of the genus Tetrahymena. We follow the suggestion of Corliss (1953b) that C. putrinum is best treated belonging to the genus Tetrahymena. Very probably it represents a member of the Tetrahymena pyriformis-complex.…”

“…Peck, 1974). The important papers of Furgason (1940) and Corliss (1952Corliss ( , 1953b showed furthermore that in American laboratories frequently used names like 'C. campylum' and 'C.…”

Some Aspects of the Protozoa and their Way of Life: The Sixth Marjory Stephenson Memorial Lecture

“…The two species Tetrahymena vorax and T . patula L-FF, of which I have two amicronucleate strains, are dimorphic and also produce transparent (indeed they are rightly called invisible) cysts from which emerge eight small creatures known as tomites (Corliss, 1953; Williams, 1960Williams, ,1961. They manage all this and maintain their character without the sexual nucleus.…”