Synchronous exocytosis in Paramecium cells. I. A novel approach.

From a total number of approximately 1100-1300 secretory organelles ("trichocysts") in a Paramecium tetraurelia cell, approximately 90% are docked to the cell membrane. Approximately 90% of this subpopulation can be discharged from the cells within seconds, when exposed to the novel trigger agent aminoethyldextran (AED) at a concentration of 10(-6) M. No deleterious side effects were recognized with this trigger agent even over long time periods. By application of AED close to cells with the use of a micropipette we found that triggering of trichocyst release by AED involves a local, non-propagated effect and that all regions of the cell body are equally reactive. It requires exogenous Ca2+. It is independent of ciliary Ca2+ channels, since deciliated cells or ciliary mutations with "Ca2+-tight" cilia respond to AED with normal exocytosis performance. The massive and rapid occurrence of trichocyst release in response to AED allowed for a freeze-fracture analysis of intramembraneous changes (see Olbricht et al., Exp cell res 151 (1984) 14 [23]) which also shows the involvement of exocytosis) as well as for a long-term study of the re-attachment of trichocysts (see Haacke & Plattner, Exp cell res 151 (1984) 21 [10]) under synchronous conditions.