Kappa organism

In biology, Kappa organism or Kappa particle refers to inheritable cytoplasmic symbionts, occurring in some strains of Paramecium. Paramecium strains possessing the particles ("Killers") liberate into the culture medium a substance lethal to Paramecium not containing kappa particles.

Kappa particles are Feulgen-positive and stain with Giemsa after acid hydrolysis. The length of the particles is 0.2–0.5μ.[1]

The particles are considered to be intracellular symbionts, occupying a position between viruses, bacteria, and organelles,[2] mere nucleoprotein[3] or, by another sources bacterium Caenobacter taenospiralis.

References

  1. Brown, C. H. (1950). "Elimination of Kappa Particles from 'Killer' Strains of Paramecium aurelia by Treatment with Chloromycetin". Nature 166 (4221): 527. doi:10.1038/166527A0.
  2. Kappa Particles in mediLexicon
  3. Kappa Particles in McGraw-Hill Science & Technology Dictionary

External links


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