title: Porphyrin rings and phospholipids: stimulators of cloning efficiency in certain species of Tetrahymena.
abstract: Species of Tetrahymena, including T. vorax, T. thermophila, T. pyriformis, and T. pigmentosa, were tested for cloning efficiency in proteose peptone and in synthetic nutrient media to which were added hemin, protoporphyrin IX, chlorophyllin, or asolectin, an impure mixture of phospholipids. All species could be cloned with high efficiency in the crude media. In unsupplemented synthetic medium the cloning efficiencies were 0-10%, around 50%, around 50%, and 90-100% for T. thermophila, T. vorax, T. pyriformis, and T. pigmentosa, respectively. The first three were all stimulated to 90-100% by addition of the porphyrin or phospholipid compounds mentioned above. Uroporphyrin III and coproporphyrin I and III had no effect. We suggest that cells unable to form clones suffer from a lack of cellular energy. This situation may be alleviated by our additions, certain porphyrin rings may be built into cytochromes and phospholipids may be used as fuel. Thus, the synthetic media used so far for these ciliates have not been optimal.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biology, Department of Anatomy and Cytology, Odense University, Denmark.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schousboe
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghiladi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002735:Chlorophyllides; D002999:Clone Cells; D003470:Culture Media; D010743:Phospholipids; D011166:Porphyrins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D013696:Temperature; D013768:Tetrahymena / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D002735:Chlorophyllides; D003470:Culture Media; D010743:Phospholipids; D011166:Porphyrins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; C028025:protoporphyrin IX; C007020:chlorophyllin