"On the possibly kystic nature of multilamellar cospuscles in the midgut gland (MGG) of the apple-snail Pomacea canaliculata (II)"

VEGA IA.; GAMARRA-LUQUES C.; ALBRECHT EA.; KOCH E.; CASTRO-VAZQUEZ A.

San Luis, Argentina

Congreso; XIX Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2001

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo.

The main objection for a symbiotic (kystic) interpretation of K corpuscles is its comparatively low DNA/protein concentration. We present here evidence indicating that substance/s present in K lysates may be interfering with DNA fluorescence, and that therefore, previous DNA determinations were inaccurately low. In fact, DNA values obtained with the diphenylamide method were seven times higher than those obtained with the bisbenzymide method. Also, K-lysates added to an Escherichia coli DNA extract resulted in up to a 82 % quenching of ethydium bromide fluorescence in agarose gels. It is concluded that DNA/protein concentration is still lower in K than in C corpuscles (owing to the high protein content of K lysates), but that it cannot be explained by contamination of the K fraction by C corpuscles.