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Fusion-defective mutants ofChlamydomonas eugametos

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Summary

Mutant strains of the unicellular green algaChlamydomonas eugametos are described which are defective in sexual fusion. All mutants are mating type plus (mt+). They are unable to fuse because none of them is capable of protruding a mating structure through the cell wall, neither during sexual agglutination nor after adding dibutyryl-cAMP or compounds that raise the intracellular calcium level, treatments that are effective in wild type cells. Evidence is presented that these mutants lack the lytic enzyme activity which is normally involved in the local hydrolysis of the cell wall to allow the protrusion of the mating structure. Furthermore, a simple light microscopic method is presented to determine the presence of activated mating structures.

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Abbreviations

db-cAMP:

dibutyryl cyclic AMP

Mab:

monoclonal antibody

mt+ :

mating type plus

mt− :

mating type minus

WGA:

wheat-germ agglutinin

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Cell Biology, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 318, NL-1098 SM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    F. Schuring, A. Musgrave, M. C. C. Elders, Y. Teunissen, W. L. Homan & H. van den Ende

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  1. F. Schuring
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  2. A. Musgrave
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  3. M. C. C. Elders
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  4. Y. Teunissen
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  5. W. L. Homan
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  6. H. van den Ende
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Schuring, F., Musgrave, A., Elders, M.C.C. et al. Fusion-defective mutants ofChlamydomonas eugametos . Protoplasma 162, 108–119 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02562554

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02562554

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