Abstract
Summary
The nitrogenous requirements of Glaucoma scintillans and Colpidium campylum in axenic culture have been investigated. Both ciliates require approximately 20 times as much pantothenic acid as does Tetrahymena pyriformis W. Colpidium appears to require whole protein molecules of the molecular weight range of casein. Digests of casein do not support growth, nor does bovine serum albumin. Free amino acids do not appear to be utilized and are somewhat inhibitory. Glaucoma will utilize free amino acids but will not grow when they are the sole nitrogen source. It appears to require peptides (as in enzymatic digests of casein or in peptones) but best growth occurs when whole protein molecules are present (casein or bovine albumin). The requirements of neither ciliate appear to be for a specific configuration (certainly not strepogenin) but rather for molecules of a certain minimum size. This may reflect the necessity for stimulation of the cell for the swallowing reaction.
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