Stability in locomotive function of cilia according to clonal aging in Paramecium

Non-deteriorative cellular functions were examined in Paramecium and found in the cell lines undergoing proliferative senescence. Changes in two kinds of cellular functions, the ability to regenerate cilia and the locomotive function of cilia, were compared between young and old cells. The ability to regenerate cilia after artificial deciliation decreased in old Paramecium cells, but the ability of cilia to swim both forward and backward was stable with age. Our results suggest that morphogenesis of cilia is a deteriorative character, but the locomotive function of cilia is not associated with proliferative senescence.