Abstract 2533 Endoplasmic reticulum tubulation may be required for Tetrahymena mating

Mating in the ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophila, is characterized by membrane fusion and fusion pore formation that set the stage for the exchange of genetic material. These changes membrane structure are preceded by the alteration of lipid composition at the site of membrane fusion. One mechanism by which this lipid composition may be altered is through the function of lipid exchange proteins that act at the interface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane. But membrane contact sites or ER tubulation that is required for these sites to form, had not been observed in Tetrahymena.