Abstract
Summary The effect of cadmium on the morphogenesis and patterning of surface ciliary structures has been analyzed in the ciliate protozoan Stylonychia mytilus. During division and cortical reorganization, Stylonychia cells exhibit development of ciliary structures, consisting of an adorai zone of membranelies (AZM), two undulating membranes, frontoventral-transverse (FVT) cirri, a row each of right and left marginal cirri, dorsal kineties and caudal cirri which differentiate from their respective ciliary primordia. Subsequent patterning results in a species specific spatial arrangement of ciliary structures. The presence of cadmium in the culture medium disturbs the development process in that the cells develop supernumerary ciliary primordia which differentiate to form 3–7 extra FVT cirri, one or more additional dorsal kineties, and caudal cirri. The additional cirri exhibit quantitative features which are characteristic of their spatial position on the cell surface. The anomalous ciliary patterns are transitory and are reversed when cells divide or reorganize in the cadmium free medium. In the presence of cadmium, configuration of the new AZM becomes distorted as the newly differentiated membranelies near the cytostome fail to align correctly due to their torsional displacement. Development of additional ciliary structures is not accompanied by significant morphometric changes in the cells.
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