I am using strains CC- wt 1009(-) & 1010(+) for a sexual reproduction
experiment and have noticed a two-fold difference in growth and
motility between the 2 strains; with 1010(+) growing faster and having
a much higher proportion of motile individuals.
The strains have been treated with identical conditions, were plated
and growing on agar plates before being suspended in liquid medium.
I need the 1009 to be more motile, or consecutive matings won't be
successful and probably lead to a continuous reduction in zygote
yield.
The media they're growing in has been used in our lab for quite some
time now and because I also have rotifers growing in the media, I
can't really change that. They're being grown under bright light,
continuously shaken, and 24C. Observing 1009 under the microscope
reveals that the "immobile" cells do indeed have flagella, but just
are not swimming.
Has anyone noticed such a difference between the 2 strains or knows
how to encourage increased motility in 1009? I am most hesitant about
changing strains or media at this point, so am hoping there's some
treatment solution first. Any insight/suggestions would be greatly
appreciated!
Thanks,
Hanna Koch
PhD Student
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
Plön, Germany
