Pseudopodium Induction by the Action of Quaternary Ammonium Ions on Amoeba Proteus

Some aliphatic long-chain quaternary ammonium compounds and choline derivatives have been examined for their ability to induce pseudopodia from Amoeba proteus. The reaction involved in pseudopodium induction is believed to be between the quaternary nitrogen cations and polysaccharides on the cell surface. Not all of the carboxyl groups of the polysaccharide are involved in this reaction. The mechanism of pseudopodium induction is discussed in terms of changes in the surface charge and the permeability of the cell membrane.