THE STRIATED BANDS OF PARAMECIUM ARE IMMUNOLOGICALLY DISTINCT FROM THE CENTRIN-SPECIFIC INFRACILIARY LATTICE AND CYTOSTOMAL CORD

The pellicle of Paramecium has three two-dimensionally arrayed systems that occupy separate but closely paralleling planes. All three system s are now distinguishable by their differing immunological properties. This study focused on the two deeper systems. The infraciliary lattic e lies innermost and labels with centrin-specific antibodies. The midd le system, the striated bands, is specifically labeled with a monoclon al antibody that we have raised to a 110 kDa cortical antigen in P. mu ltimicronucleatum. This antibody labels a similar geometric cortical p attern in Mt least two species, P. multimicronucleatum and P. tetraure lia. Centrin-specific structures appear to be net-like in the above tw o species but show a more interrupted pattern in P. caudatum. The cyto stomal cord is an essentially unbranched extension of the net-like inf raciliary lattice and, like it, is centrin-specific. The cord has a un ique association with the alveolar sacs which suggest these calcium-st oring compartments contribute to the calcium fluxes required for contr action of the cord. A structural rather than a contractile function is favored for the striated bands, based solely on their morphology.