Abstract
CERTAIN strains of Paramecium, known as ‘killers’, contain in their cytoplasm particles, called ‘kappa particles’1, which are Feulgen-positive, and stain with Giemsa after acid hydrolysis2. Killers liberate into the culture medium a substance lethal to Paramecium not containing kappa particles, known as ‘sensitives’. Kappa particles have many of the properties of cytoplasmic genes3, but their size (0.2–0.5 µ in length), and their staining reactions, suggest that they may be parasitic micro-organisms3–5 such as the rickettsiæ, viruses of the psittacosislymphogranuloma group, or even small bacteria.
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BROWN, C. Elimination of Kappa Particles from ‘Killer’ Strains of Paramecium aurelia by Treatment with Chloromycetin. Nature 166, 527 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1038/166527a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/166527a0
