Experimental Infection of the Gray Garden Slug, Deroceras reticulatum (Müller), By the Holotrichous Ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis (Ehrenberg)

Abstract

To determine whether Tetrahymena pyrijormis could infect Deroceras reticidatunz and become morphologically modified in the same way as the parasitic phase of T . limacis, 50 slugs were exposed for 10 days to an amicronucleate clone of T . pyriformis and 50 were exposed for the same period of time to a micronucleate clone.

Experimental Infections of Various Animals with Strains of the Genus Tetrahymena*

“…Employing the same strain Janda & Jirovec(3) inoculated a number of host animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, and were successful in establishing infections only in insects. Kozloff ( 4 ) readily infected the gray garden slug. Deroceras reticulaturn, with two strains (OF-1 and K H -6 ) of T .…”

Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Enzymes in Tetrahymena pyriformis after Infection of the Cockroach Periplaneta americana1

“…Activities of enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in extracts of Tetrahymena pyriformis S, axenically recovered after living in the hemocoel of female cockroaches Periplaneta americana for 48 hr, were compared with activities in ciliates not exposed to the cockroach. Malic dehydrogenase activity was depressed after recovery from the cockroach ; isocitric and succinic ARIOUS species of Tetrahymena facultatively parasi-V tize a variety of invertebrates (2, 9,21 ) . The S strain can live in the hemocoel of the female adult cockroach Periplaneta americana (18) but not in the male (17).…”

“…Immediately after recovery from female cockroaches, tetrahymenas are smaller than organisms maintained axenically and are rounded rather than typically piriform (18). In contrast, upon immediate recovery from the garden slug, the cells, altho smaller, are typically piriform (9). Upon immediate recovery from the cockroach, the ciliates contain very many lipid droplets (18).…”