Direct visualization of the microtubular cytoskeleton of ciliated protozoa with a fluorescent taxoid.
Visualization of the infraciliature, which is an essential tool for the identification of ciliate species, has traditionally been obtained with silver proteinate methods. Since infraciliature is mainly composed of microtubules, we used the synthetic fluorescent taxoid FLUTAX as a method for ciliate identification. The main advantages of this method are the facility and rapidity of its application and the fact that no previous fixation and permeabilization processes are required. FLUTAX may also be used as a probe to follow morphogenetical changes in the microtubular cytoskeleton during the ciliate life cycle.
Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain. arregui@bio.ucm.es
Lucía
L
Arregui
Cesar
C
Muñoz-Fontela
Susana
S
Serrano
Isabel
I
Barasoain
Almudena
A
Guinea
D000818:Animals; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D043823:Taxoids
C116523:7-O-(N-(4'-fluoresceincarbonyl)alanyl)taxol; D043823:Taxoids; D017239:Paclitaxel; D019793:Fluorescein