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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 July; 55(7): 1761-1765
Copyright © 1989, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Fixation on Cell Volume of Marine Planktonic Protozoa {dagger}

Joon W. Choi{ddagger},* and Diane K. Stoecker

Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543

ABSTRACT

The effects of fixation on the cell volume of marine heterotrophic nanoflagellates and planktonic ciliates were investigated. Decreases in cell volume depended on the combination of the protozoan taxa and the particular fixative. For a particular fixative and protozoan species, degree of shrinkage was independent of physiological state. The volume of fixed cells was found to be approximately 20 to 55% lower than the cell volume of live organisms. For the heterotrophic microflagellates, the fixatives ranked, in order of decreasing effect on cell volume, as glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, acid Lugol's solution, and modified van der Veer solution. With oligotrichous ciliates and a tintinnid ciliate, formaldehyde caused less shrinkage than glutaraldehyde or acid Lugol's solution. With the aldehyde fixatives, the microflagellates were found to shrink more than the ciliates. Differential effects of fixation on cell volumes may result in an underestimation of the biomass of certain protozoan taxa in natural samples.

FOOTNOTES

* Corresponding author.

{ddagger} Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602.

{dagger} Contribution no. 6996 from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 July; 55(7): 1761-1765
Copyright © 1989, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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