Disturbing occurrences lately

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mintakax
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Location: Boulder CO, USA

Disturbing occurrences lately

#1 Post by mintakax » Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:22 am

Over the last 3 days I have witnessed the cell wall rupturing on several ciliates... one Euplotes, two Loxodes and one P.busaria. I know what slides drying out looks like and this was not the culprit. The only other time I have seen anything like this is when all cells on my slide died from a commercial MC solution. I'm wondering if it could be related to a thermal change ? Its winter here in Colorado and my cultures and pond aquarium are in my semi-heated garage which probably gets to 55-60 F at the coldest. I transfer specimens to slides in the garage and then examine them inside my house which is aprox. 72 F. Any ideas ?

I'm going to try and let a greater amount of sample water warm up in the hopes that this will be a gradual warm up as opposed to a drop on a slide.

MicroBob
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Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#2 Post by MicroBob » Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:47 am

As far as I know ciliates live in a certain cycle over the year. Is it possible, that his is just what happens with them when put under a cover slip in fall time?
Maybe you caught them on the wrong foot in their winter preparation.

apochronaut
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Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#3 Post by apochronaut » Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:36 pm

Usually the contraction frequency of the contractile vacuole speeds up , prior to such events. Did this happen?
There is in fact no cell wall , just a fragile cell membrane , with everything held together by a critical control of the internal osmotic pressure. As difficulty in regulating the osmotic pressure occurs, the contractile vacuole works overtime to regulate it, prior to lysis.

I would dilute your aquarium water, with distilled water a bit. It seems possible that the rise in temperature is increasing the osmolarity of the solution beyond a critical threshold.

Or maybe you just got a few old geezers that were glad to be moving on. Ciliates transmigrate, and with the wisdom of their age, more often than not come back as slime molds, where they frequently encounter politicians going the other way.

Chris Dee
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Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#4 Post by Chris Dee » Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:33 pm

apochronaut wrote:
Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:36 pm
Ciliates transmigrate, and with the wisdom of their age, more often than not come back as slime molds, where they frequently encounter politicians going the other way.
That brightened my day some :D

mintakax
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Location: Boulder CO, USA

Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#5 Post by mintakax » Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:38 pm

apochronaut wrote:
Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:36 pm
Usually the contraction frequency of the contractile vacuole speeds up , prior to such events. Did this happen?
There is in fact no cell wall , just a fragile cell membrane , with everything held together by a critical control of the internal osmotic pressure. As difficulty in regulating the osmotic pressure occurs, the contractile vacuole works overtime to regulate it, prior to lysis.

I would dilute your aquarium water, with distilled water a bit. It seems possible that the rise in temperature is increasing the osmolarity of the solution beyond a critical threshold.

Or maybe you just got a few old geezers that were glad to be moving on. Ciliates transmigrate, and with the wisdom of their age, more often than not come back as slime molds, where they frequently encounter politicians going the other way.
Totally got me chuckling on that last bit ! I didn't notice the CV frequency but will keep my eye out for this.

mintakax
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Location: Boulder CO, USA

Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#6 Post by mintakax » Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:39 pm

MicroBob wrote:
Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:47 am
As far as I know ciliates live in a certain cycle over the year. Is it possible, that his is just what happens with them when put under a cover slip in fall time?
Maybe you caught them on the wrong foot in their winter preparation.
Interesting consideration Bob, thanks.

Sauerkraut
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Location: Oregon, USA

Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#7 Post by Sauerkraut » Fri Nov 01, 2019 3:58 pm

mintakax wrote:
Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:22 am
I'm going to try and let a greater amount of sample water warm up in the hopes that this will be a gradual warm up as opposed to a drop on a slide.
I've noticed something similar lately and am interested in your findings on this warming method. It also seems like there's less protist diversity in pond samples now, and more mystery cysts, so things in the pond must be winding down for the year. There was even ice on the pond one morning already. Must retire to a warmer region...

mintakax
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Location: Boulder CO, USA

Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#8 Post by mintakax » Sun Nov 17, 2019 5:39 pm

Sauerkraut wrote:
Fri Nov 01, 2019 3:58 pm
mintakax wrote:
Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:22 am
I'm going to try and let a greater amount of sample water warm up in the hopes that this will be a gradual warm up as opposed to a drop on a slide.
I've noticed something similar lately and am interested in your findings on this warming method. It also seems like there's less protist diversity in pond samples now, and more mystery cysts, so things in the pond must be winding down for the year. There was even ice on the pond one morning already. Must retire to a warmer region...
Yes, I am noticing the exact same occurrence with respect to pond samples. I live in Boulder Co and we have very extreme temperature swings ( -3 F one day, high 60s two days later) so I'm not really sure how the pond organisms react. I usually take my samples from very shallow spots near the shore or from the ooze at the shore boundary where there will be lots of freezing and thawing cycles over the winter.

I have a heater in my pond aquarium set at 63 F (a guess). The organisms from the aquarium do well when the samples come into the house for observation. I also have several cultures that are considerably colder and the larger ciliates from those cultures are the ones that seem unable to survive transfer into the house. I've tried mixing one drop of aquarium water with one drop of culture water but that isn't helping. For the most part I have stopped bringing ciliates from the cultures into the house. I have a stereo scope in my garage so I can pretty much isolate things.

Sauerkraut
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Location: Oregon, USA

Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#9 Post by Sauerkraut » Mon Nov 18, 2019 9:45 pm

This will be my first winter observing microbes in the pond, so it will be interesting to see how the organisms adapt to the cold.

Today was supposed to be my day to play with the microscope, but instead someone decided to dump two kittens in front of my house. They promptly lodged themselves inside the truck's engine compartment. Finally got them out with some salmon and am headed to the shelter. :(

I'm still hoping to see some of my favorite amoebas this year and maybe will get a chance to look after the shelter trip. Do you know if they overwinter as cysts or...? Most general searches on amoebas and cold temps bring up info on the brain eating variety.

mintakax
Posts: 270
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Location: Boulder CO, USA

Re: Disturbing occurrences lately

#10 Post by mintakax » Fri Nov 22, 2019 12:35 am

Sauerkraut wrote:
Mon Nov 18, 2019 9:45 pm
This will be my first winter observing microbes in the pond, so it will be interesting to see how the organisms adapt to the cold.

Today was supposed to be my day to play with the microscope, but instead someone decided to dump two kittens in front of my house. They promptly lodged themselves inside the truck's engine compartment. Finally got them out with some salmon and am headed to the shelter. :(

I'm still hoping to see some of my favorite amoebas this year and maybe will get a chance to look after the shelter trip. Do you know if they overwinter as cysts or...? Most general searches on amoebas and cold temps bring up info on the brain eating variety.
You must have a lot of common sense Heather ! I'm not sure I could resist keeping two kittens although it would certainly be the more intelligent choice :)

You are so right about amoeba cyst info being overwhelmingly swamped by Naegleria fowleri. I noticed the same thing. Please keep posting findings from your pond and I will do the same regarding the ponds I frequent ( this will be my first winter also). My local pond will freeze and thaw many times this winter.

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