Abstract
The first successful isolation of discharged ejectisomes from pigmented cryptophytes is reported. Discharged ejectisomes from a Chroomonas and two Cryptomonas species were characterized by transmission electron microscopy using negative staining and freeze-etching. Tubular-shaped fragments of variable lengths and diameters were obtained which showed a paracrystalline lattice. Particle periodicities of 4.1 nm along the longitudinal axis and 3.1 nm in the transverse direction were measured in negative-stained fragments. The dimensions measured from freeze-etched ejectisome fragments were about 0.5–1 nm larger. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a protein banding pattern, dominated by polypeptides of 40–44, 23–25 and 16–18 kDa. The results are discussed in the context of what is currently known about extrusomes of protists.
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The authors express their gratitude to Ms. Silke Ammermann for the excellent technical assistance and Dr. Aron Stubbins (Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA) for the helpful comments and critical reading of the manuscript.
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In Memoriam of Prof. Dr. Werner Wehrmeyer, †2010-04-30
Handling Editor: Reimer Stick
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Rhiel, E., Westermann, M. Isolation, purification and some ultrastructural details of discharged ejectisomes of cryptophytes. Protoplasma 249, 107–115 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-011-0267-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-011-0267-4