Abstract
Summary An improved protargol staining for ciliates is described. Compared to conventional methods, the new method of fixing, mounting, and staining is easy to learn and yields well reproducible results. Cells mounted on glass slides for long-term storage are well flattened. Their cytoplasm is not stained, having a transparent appearance. Structures that impregnate with protargol such as the nuclear apparatus, the infraciliature as well as cortical and cytoplasmic microtubules are mostly stained evenly and with high contrast in all cells on a slide, therefore yielding good and clear photographs. Taxonomic characters that are important for biometry can thus be obtained from a large number of cells. Another advantage, especially important for field ecologists, lies in the fact that cells that are mounted after this new method do not have to be stained immediately. The slides with mounted cells can be stored for months or even years in a dry place in a slide box without loss in quality or staining capability.
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