Studies on the surface coat of Paramecium aurelia. II. Relationship to the immobilization antigen.

Correlations between the presence of surface coat and immobilization antigen of Paramecium tetraurelia were studied. Supravital, partial removal of the surface coat resulted in accelerated response of monobacterially and axenically grown cells to the homologous antiserum. Ciliates pretreated with trypsin or pronase (0.5 mg/ml for 45 min at 0-4 degrees C) were immobilized approximately twice as fast as untreated control cells. The probable localization of at least part, of the immobilization antigen within the surface coat of P. tetraurelia is discussed.