ESTERASE VARIATIONS BETWEEN THE 14 SYNGENS OF PARAMECIUM AURELIA UNDER AXENIC GROWTH

S. L. Allen ¹, S. W. Farrow ¹, and P. A. Golembiewski ¹

¹ Departments of Botany and Zoology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104

Under axenic growth all 14 syngens of Paramecium aurelia have 4 types of esterases. The three major types (A, B and cathodal C) vary independently in electrophoretic mobility among the syngens. Using these three esterases, stocks can be keyed to a syngen, except for the groupings 1-3-5 and 7-13. Using 5 other enzymes only syngens 1 and 5 cannot be distinguished. Most syngens differ from each other in 6 out of the 8 enzymes. An axenically-grown stock of Paramecium multimicronucleatum collected in Costa Rica has the same types of esterases as P. aurelia. Two of the types (A and C) are similar in mobility to those found in syngens 7 and 13, but its B esterase differs in mobility from all the known syngens of P. aurelia.