Tetrahymena in the Laboratory: Strain Resources, Methods for Culture, Maintenance, and Storage

The ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila has been an important model system for biological research for many years. During that time, a variety of useful strains, including highly inbred stocks, a collection of diverse mutant strains, and wild cultivars from a variety of geographical locations have been identified. In addition, thanks to the efforts of many different laboratories, optimal conditions for growth, maintenance, and storage of Tetrahymena have been worked out. To facilitate the efficient use of Tetrahymena, especially by those new to the system, this chapter presents a brief description of many available Tetrahymena strains and lists possible resources for obtaining viable cultures of T thermophila and other Tetrahymena species. Descriptions of commonly used media, methods for cell culture and maintenance, and protocols for short- and long-term storage are also presented.