A Convenient Method for Preparing Massive Suspensions of Virtually Bacteria-free Ciliate Protozoa of the Genera Isotricha and Dasytricha for Manometric Studies

Abstract

THE extensive biochemical investigations recently carried out with pure cultures of the free-living, aerobic ciliate Tetrahymena geleii (see Kidder¹ for summary) raise the question whether similar studies are possible with the obligatory anaerobic ciliates of the sheep's rumen. So far we have not been able to induce these Protozoa consistently to multiply in vitro, although some success has attended our efforts at keeping them alive for long periods in the presence of rumen bacteria². One of us, however, observed³ that the holotrich ciliates in sheep's rumen liquor, if allowed to attack glucose, rapidly became so dense through polysaccharide storage that they formed a separate white layer at the bottom of the vessel.