title: Saponin-induced release of single cells from filaments and rhizoid differentiation in Spirogyra.
abstract: Some species of Spirogyra living in streams can anchor to the substratum by differentiating a rhizoid from a terminal cell of a filament. Rhizoid differentiation occurs in the light but not in the dark. When a filament of Spirogyra sp. competent for rhizoid differentiation was incubated in a medium containing 0.1% saponin, terminal cells were released one by one, forming single cells. Single cells effectively differentiated to be rhizoids when saponin in the incubation medium was removed. The single-cell system developed in the present study seems suitable for analysis of gene expression during rhizoid differentiation of Spirogyra.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, University of Hyogo, Harima Science Park City, Hyogo 678-1297, Japan. marry@stkt.u-hyogo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hisato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikegaya
authors.forename: Shin-Ya
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonobe
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimmen
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003902:Detergents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004777:Environment; D008027:Light; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D012503:Saponins