Cell-to-cell transmission of hormonal imprinting persists long in Tetrahymena

Replicating and replication-inhibited (maintained under anaerobic conditions) Tetrahymena cells were still able to transmit to "virgin" cells insulin-induced hormonal imprinting after four weeks, i.e. after about 220 to 280 generation changes. The effect of imprinting was not uniformly demonstrable during that period, and the cells maintained under anaerobic conditions even showed a decrease in insulin binding capacity after two weeks. It appears that in the majority of the cases, the intensity of transmitted imprinting greatly depends on that of the genuine imprinting.