Immobilization, Agglutination and Agar Precipitin Effects of Antibodies to Flagella of Pandorina Mating Types*

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
SYNOPSIS. A method is given for the isolation and purification of relatively intact Pandorina morum flagella. Rabbit antisera to flagella of three different strains of the alga, representing each of the two mating types in one syngen and one of the two mating types in a second syngen, were tested. Microscopic examination revealed that antisera caused shedding of flagella and appeared to inhibit their regeneration. Homologous antiserum was capable of immobilizing colonies, agglutinating flagella, and forming multiple precipitin bands in agar when tested against flagella. The effects of an antiserum on the immunizing strain of alga and on its complementary mating type were indistinguishable by the three immunological reactions. Where additional strains of a syngen could be tested, they were also found to react with the antiserum, though the strains were originally collected on different continents. Observable effects of antisera were generally restricted to strains within the same syngen as the immunizing strain. In one exceptional case, however, strains sexually incompatible with the immunizing strain, but originally collected from the same pond, reacted with the antiserum in all three types of serum tests.

This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit: