Mating in Chlamydomonas eugametos. A scanning electron microscopical study.

A technique has been developed by which mating gametes of Chlamydomonas eugametos can be studied in the Scanning Electron Microscope. A detailed description of the mating process, from the initial flagellar agglutination until the release of free vis-à-vis pairs, is presented. Flagella appear to agglutinate at random points on their surface. This is followed by a rapid increase of the contact area such that they "line-up" tip to tip. Flagella always exhibit a typical position prior to cell fusion. After cell fusion the flagella of a pair separate rapidly while the female have shortened about 33%. In a vis-à-vis pair the plasma bridge has contracted. The observations are interpreted in terms of a specific reorganization of the sexuale aggregate.