Glycosylation in the ciliate Vorticella convallaria

[Karen J. Colley]

I have a colleague, Howard Buhse, in the Department of Biological Sciences
at University of Illinois at Chicago, who is studying stalk development in
the pertrich ciliate Vorticella convallaria.  He is looking for a Golgi
marker for this organism. One possibility is to use a glycosyltransferase
or the carbohydrate product of a glycosyltransferase as a Golgi marker
(antibody for the former, lectin for the latter).  However, we know nothing
concerning this organism's glycosylation pathway.  Does anyone have any
information on the carbohydrate structures found in this organism or a
related organism that might help us narrow down some markers?

                                    Thanks for your help,


                                    Karen Colley
                                    Email: Karen.J.Colley at uicvm.uic.edu