DEFENSIVE FUNCTION OF TRICHOCYSTS IN PARAMECIUM

A putative defensive function of trichocysts in Paramecium has been tested experimentally. Cells of trichocyst-non-discharge (tnd) mutant, artificially induced trichocyst-deficient cells, and intact wild-type cells were compared as prey for a carnivorous ciliate, Dileptus margaritifer. Cells of tnd mutants were eaten 9-45 times faster than wild-type cells by the predator in P. caudatum and P. tetraurelia. Encounters between paramecia and dilepti occurred in nearly the same frequency in mutant and wild-type cells. Paramecia with reduced numbers of trichocysts were obtained in P. caudatum, P. jenningsi, and P. tetraurelia by treating wild-type cells with lysozyme, an inducer of trichocyst discharge. These cells were eaten faster than intact cells by the predator and the rate of predation was inversely correlated with the remained capacity of trichocyst discharge. It was concluded that the discharge of trichocysts defends these species of Paramecium against D. margaritifer. Therefore, the results of this work strongly support the hypothesis that trichocysts in Paramecium function as defensive organelles against predators. The results also support the hypothesis that the offense-defense interaction between Dileptus and Paramecium is mediated by their extrusomes (toxicysts and trichocysts) and suggest that extrusomes in ciliates function as organelles for interspecific cell-cell interaction.