THE EFFECTS OF INHIBITORS AFFECTING PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND MEMBRANE ACTIVITY ON THECHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDHIIPHOTOTACTIC RHYTHM

Abstract

Cycloheximide and puromycin slowed the biological timing of the phototactic rhythm of C. reinhardii. Actinomycin D, rifampicin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, chloral hydrate, valinomycin, LiCl, ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, procaine, tetracaine, dibucaine and sodium lauryl sulfate did not alter the period length. A cycloheximide resistant mutant (cyr-1) was isolated. The mutation is recessive since diploids produced from cyr-1 and wild type are sensitive to cycloheximide. The phototactic rhythm of cyr-1, unlike that of the wild type, is not influenced by cycloheximide. Evidently, the action of the drug in slowing the rhythm in the wild type is mediated by its inhibition of protein synthesis.