A single-gene-dependent abnormality of adoral membranelles in Tetrahymena pyriformis, species 1.
Strain D of species (syngen) 1, Tetrahymena pyriformis, differs from other inbred strains in its manifestation of certain abnormal patterns of adoral membranelles. Instead of the usual three membranelles some cells have a greater number, most frequently 4 or 5, but occasionally up to 7. The extra membranelles, or even all membranelles of any given set, are shorter than M-1 and M-2 of the normal pattern. In other cases, the only alteration observed is a change in the relative lengths of the three membranelles. The frequency of abnormal cells varies from about 5% to 15% during exponential growth to over 50% after prolonged stationary culture. The genetic basis for the abnormality is shown to be due to a single recessive gene which segregates normally in various crosses and which manifests vegetative assortment as do most allelic variants in species 1.
D005787:Gene Frequency; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D005838:Genotype; D008566:Membranes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009154:Mutation; D009940:Organoids / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010641:Phenotype; D013769:Tetrahymena pyriformis / Q000648:ultrastructure*