Paramecium caudatum

Immobilization of the protozoan Paramecium caudatum by anthracene, with an EC50 (60 min) of 0.1 pg/L) (USEPA 1980)... 

LCioo (4-h) for protozoan Paramecium caudatum) 2.9 volume % (Rajini et ah, 1989). 

Rajini, P.S., Krishnakumari, M.K., and Majumder, S.K. Cytotoxicity of certain organic solvents and organophosphorus insecticides to the ciliated protozoan Paramecium caudatum, Microbios, 59(240-241) 157-163,1989. 

As protozoa and nematodes live in pore water in the soil, most of the methods are adapted from toxicity tests designed for aquatic samples. Among the protozoa the tests with cihates Tetrahymena pyriformis, Tetrahymena thermophiia, Colpoda cucullus, Colpoda inflata, Colpoda steinii, Paramecium caudatum, and Paramecium aurelia have been developed [ 102,112-117]. It is the opinion of some authors that the sensitivity of infusorians is higher than that of microorganisms [115,116]. 

The toxicity tests with Paramecium caudatum were carried out in a special plate and examined under a Laboval microscope (Carl Zeiss, Jena). The test reaction was the death of the test organisms when exposed to 0.3 mL of test solution for 1 hour, using 10 individuals of Paramecium. Analysis was conducted five times simultaneously. 

Type of sewage sludge Daphnia magna Paramecium caudatum Pseudomonas putida Raphanus sativus Class of hazard... 

Citrobacter freundii Enterobacter cloacae Escherichia coli Klebsiella pneumoniae Proteus vulgaris Pseudomonas aeruginosa Salmonella typhimurium Serratia marcescens Shigella spp. Staphylococcus spp. Streptococcus spp. Candida albicans Saccharomyces cerevisiae Acanthamoeba castellani Paramecium caudatum Tetrahymena pyrifomds... 

Protozoa Amoeba proteus Euglena viridis Paramecium caudatum Amorphous Spindle-shaped Slipper-shaped < 600 pm dia 40-65 x 14—20 pm 180-300 /rm length... 

Horn M, Fritsche TR, Gautom RK, Schleifer KH, Wagner M (1999) Novel bacterial endosym-bionts of Acanthamoeba spp. related to the Paramecium caudatum symbiont Caedibacter caryophilus. Env Microbiol 1 357-367... 

The pharmacology of tylophorine was studied by Chopra et al. 10). Tylophorine is toxic to Paramecium caudatum in a dilution of 1 50,000. 

S.S. Epstein, M. Burroughs (1962). Some factors influencing the photodynamic response of Paramecium caudatum to 3,4-benzopyrene. Nature, 193,337-338. 

S.S. Epstein, M. Small, J. Koplan, N. Mantel, S.H. Hunter (1963). A photodynamic bioassay of benzo[a]pyrene with Paramecium caudatum. J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 31, 163-168. 

Fukui, K. and Asai, H. (1985). Negative geotactic behavior of Paramecium caudatum is completely described by the mechanism of buoyancy-oriented upward swimming. Biophys. J. 47, 479 82. 

Iwatsuki, K. and Hirano, T. (1996). An increase in the influx of calcium ions into cilia induces thigmotaxis in Paramecium caudatum. Experientia 52, 831-833. 

Only a very small number of doublets are significant, for example Paramecium caudatum with Zoogloea Colpidium campylum with Paramecium trichium or with Fusarium or with Stigeoclonium. Mass development of Colpidium campylum in the absence of other ciliates is also significant. 

Toxic effect of heavy metal salts and hydrogen peroxide lipid per oxidation inducers was studied on the culture of Paramecium caudatum cells. A significant protective effect of substances with antioxidant effect (ascotbic acid, piracetam) in the experimental model of induced oxidative stress in unicellular infusoria is estabhshed. 

Paramecium caudatum (the wild strain) cell culture was cultivated in the Lozina-Lozinsky medium with addition of nutritive medium yeasts containing Saccharomy-ces cerevisiae yeasts. The oxidative stress was induced by cadmium chloride, lead acetate, and hydrogen peroxide (H O ). Infusorians sensitivity to toxic agents was determined by time of their death established by protozoa motion cessation, often accompanied by cell deformation and cytolysis. The exposure time was 2hours. The control in all tests was the number of cells in 10 ml of the medium containing the intact culture of infusorian (without oxidative stress induction). 

FIGURE 3.1 Toxic effect of chemical agents on Paramecium caudatum cell culture... 

FIGURE 3.2 Dynamics of Paramecium caudatum population changes in the medium containing various chemical agents control-normal saline PER-hydrogen peroxide Pb-lead diacetate AC - ascorbic acid. 

Photodynamic reactions are to some extent temperature independent and have high quantum efficiency (O2 consumed/quanta absorbed). The rate is of zero order with respect to the sensitizer concentration. This proves that the dye acts as a catalyst. The latter might produce a peroxide or some kind of active oxygen. Classical examples are those of the increased death rate of Paramecium caudatum in the presence of oxygen and dyes and the work of Gaffron (1936) on bacteria. 

Grebecki, a., and Kuznicki, L. (1961). Immobilization of Paramecium caudatum in chloral hydrate solution. Bull. Acad. Polon. Sci., Ser. Sci. Biol. 9, 459. 

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