Preservation and phallotoxin-staining of the microfilament system in Amoeba proteus.

The spatial organization of the microfilament system as the main component of the cytoskeleton in Amoeba proteus was preserved by a glutaraldehyde-lysine-fixation and visualized with fluorescent phallotoxins (NBD- phallacidin , R-phalloidin). Results obtained by means of this method coincide exactly with observations gained from immunocytochemical, ultrastructural and molecular cytochemical studies, i.e., the microfilament system is mainly displayed beneath the cell membrane, at the hyalo - granuloplasmic border and around the cell nucleus. The preparation procedure employed is suitable for the rapid demonstration of cytoplasmic microfilaments in cells difficult to preserve by chemical fixation.