抄録
The early stages of conjugation of the ciliate Blepharisma were studied, bearing in mind the general interests, cell attraction and cell-to-cell contact.
Miyake's Blepharisma system was introduced as a positive feedback system at first, in which uni-cellular organisms with two mating types secrete respective mating substances GI (gamone I or blepharmone)and GII (gamone II or blepharismone) which have been purified and identified as single molecules. A cell is, by the opposite type of mating sub- stance, enhanced to secrete its mating substance and induced to conjugate. (§2)
The mating type I cell was discovered to be specifically attracted by GII, and the type II cell was not attracted by any mating substance. (§3)
A mating substance, also, induces ciliary union of a cell pair which advances to glued union later. The ciliary union is participated in by the two kinds of parallel ciliary rows, adoral zone of membranelles (AZM) and anterior extension of undulating membrane (extUM). A mating substance induces AZM and extUM sequentially to become capable to make an AZM-extUM bond. A ciliary row of extUM is also discovered to be significantly attached to the surface of artificial substrata. It will provide an available method for investigation of properties of cellular contact. (§4)
