mRNAs for the immobilization antigens of Paramecium

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Abstract
Immobilization antigens of stock 51 of P. tetraurelia were subjected to electrophoresis in NaDodSO4 (sodium dodecyl sulfate)/polyacrylamide gels. The MW of the type A, B, C, D, E and H antigens were estimated to be 300,000, 253,000, 250,000, 280,000, 270,000 and 288,000 daltons, respectively. Poly(A)+RNA species were isolated from cells producing these antigens and subjected to electrophoresis in methylmercury gels. A major band varied in mobility with antigenic type. The position of the major band in preparations derived from paramecia synthesizing antigen A indicates a size of 8400 nucleotide residues; its position from paramecia synthesizing other antigens indicate H, 8200; D, 7900; E, 7500; B, 7600; and C, 7000. The sizes and quantities of these RNA species suggest that they probably represent the mRNA for the immobilization antigens. Each immobilization antigen probably consists of a single polypeptide and only 1 major serotype-determining mRNA is present in each antigenically different paramecium.