INITIAL STEPS OF INFECTION OF THE CILIATE PARAMECIUM WITH BACTERIA HOLOSPORA SP.
S.I. Fokin,1 * I.N. Skovorodkin,2 E.V. Sabaneyeva 3
1 IBiological Research Institute of St. Petersburg State University,
2 Institute of Cytology RAS, St. Petersburg, and
3 St. Petersburg State University, Russia;
* e-mail: fokin@peterlink.ru
New light and electron microscope data on the initial steps of endocytobiosis establishment between the ciliate
Paramecium and specific intranuclear bacteria Holospora are provided. At the cytoplasmic step of infection bacteria of all
Holospora species are found in a vesicle originating from the membrane of the host cell phagosome. The association between
host cell microfilaments and the bacterium bearing vesicle may suggest a possible involvement of the ciliate cytoskeleton in the
transportation of bacteria to the host cell nucleus. The authors subdivide the process of infection into 6 steps. Some strains of
P. caudatum never take up infectious Holospora bacteria in the course of phagocytosis.
Key words: bacteria, endocytobiosis, Holospora, Paramecium, cytoskeleton
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