Effects of antibiotics on the early infection process of a macronuclear endosymbiotic bacterium Holospora obtusa of Paramecium caudatum.
We examined the effects of antibiotics involved in bacterial DNA, RNA and protein synthesis and host protein synthesis on the early infection process of the bacterium Holospora obtusa, a macronucleus-specific symbiont of the ciliate Paramecium caudatum. Infection of the host macronucleus by the bacterium was not inhibited by mitomycin C, rifampicin and chloramphenicol. However, ingestion of the bacterium into the host digestive vacuoles and escape of the bacterium from the vacuoles to the host cytoplasm were significantly arrested with emetine. The results suggest that newly synthesized host proteins play an important role in the early infection process.
Dohra
H
H
Biological Institute, Faculty of Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan. gihdour@ipc.shizuoka.ac.jp
Fujishima
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004640:Emetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010247:Paramecium / Q000382:microbiology*; D013559:Symbiosis
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004640:Emetine