Enzyme Systems in Stylonychia pusulata. I. Cytochemical Studies on the Oxidation of the Dicarboxylic Acid Substrates

Enzyme Systems of Stylonychia pustulata. II. Miscellaneous Systems (Hydrases, Hydrolases, and Dehydrogenases)

“…The other cytoplasmic structures appeared to be devoid of the enzyme. tified in S. pustulata as the mitochondria on the basis of intra vitam staining and permanent preparations ( 8 ) . The most common type is short, thick, rod-like granules; the other, spherical.…”

“…as suggested by the fact that several animals contained black oval bodies (which would indicate the presence of enzymatic activity) immediately beneath the pellicle. Since oval and elongate mitochondria coexist in these forms ( 8 ) , stained oval bodies beneath the pellicle and identified as mitochondria could have been basal granules.…”

“…The animals utilized in these studies descended from clones used in a preceding investigation : their growth and preparation for the histochemical determinations have been described (8).…”

“…they appear to resemble those in the cells of certain avian and mammalian tissues. Recently it was shown that Stylonychin puJtulatn metabolizes the same dicarboxylic acid substrates that are used as an energy source by certain higher animal tissues (8) ; moreover, the enzymes concerned with the oxidation of these substrates showed a distribution pattern similar to that known for tissues of higher animals. The aim of the present investigation is to determine: ( 1 ) whether these protozoa metabolize certain other substrates utilized by certain cells of higher animals, and ( 2 ) whether the intracellular localization of enzymes utilizing the investigated substrates follows the same distribution pattern known for similar enzymes of cells in higher animals.…”