The behaviour of Naegleria gruberi amoebae on coverslips coated with concanavalin A was followed by reflection interference microscopy. Locomotion continued briefly on the protein and much material was shed before the cells halted. The effect was overcome by perfusion with hapten sugars. These carbohydrates dissociated those trails formed in water from the substrate save for areas of focal contact, whereas trails generated in 10 mm-KCl were unaffected by hapten. These results argue for direct cell-substrate contact over a limited portion of the cell surface during this type of locomotion.
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