AI Article Synopsis
- Stentor coeruleus exhibits a photophobic response, characterized by a delayed stop in ciliary movement and a temporary reversal of ciliary beating when exposed to increased light intensity.
- The use of l-cis-diltiazem, a blocker of cGMP-gated ion channels, significantly impacts this behavior by inducing ciliary reversal and altering response times.
- The findings suggest that cGMP-gated channels play a key role in light signal transduction for the ciliate’s movement in response to light changes.
Article Abstract
The protozoan ciliate Stentor coeruleus displays a step-up photophobic response to an increase in light intensity in its environment. The motile response consists of a delayed stop of ciliary beating and transient ciliary reversal period. Such light-avoiding behavior was significantly influenced by an incubation of cells with l-cis-diltiazem, a common blocker of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-gated ion channel conductance. The introduction of l-cis-diltiazem to the medium induced ciliary reversal in control cells, mimicking the step-up photophobic response. In light-stimulated ciliates, the presence of this inhibitor caused a substantial decrease of the latency of ciliary stop response, prolongation of the ciliary reversal duration and also an increase of cell photoresponsiveness in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The obtained behavioral results support the suggestion that the photosensitive ciliate S. coeruleus possesses cGMP-gated channels, which may be involved in the process of light signal transduction for the motile photophobic response.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1562/0031-8655(2003)077<0339:avsote>2.0.co;2 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!