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Gravikinesis in Paramecium: Theory and isolation of a physiological response to the natural gravity vector

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Summary

  1. 1.

    We have investigated a physiological component of the gravitaxis of Paramecium using established mechanisms of ciliate mechanosensitivity. The horizontal, up and down swimming rates of cells, and the sedimentation of immobilized specimens were determined. Weak DC voltage gradients were applied to predetermine the Paramecium swimming direction.

  2. 2.

    An observed steady swimming rate is the vector sum of active propulsion (P), a possible gravity-dependent change in swimming rate (Δ), and rate of sedimentation (S). We approximated P from horizontal swimming. S was measured after cell immobilization.

  3. 3.

    Theory predicts that the difference between the down and up swimming rates, divided by two, equals the sum of S and Δ. Δ is supposed to be the arithmetic mean of two subcomponents, Δ a and Δ p, from gravistimulation of the anterior and posterior cell ends, respectively.

  4. 4.

    A negative value of Δ (0.038 mm/s) was isolated with Δ a(0.070 mm/s) subtracting from downward swimming, and Δ p(0.005 mm/s) adding to upward propulsion. The data agree with one out of three possible ways of gravisensory transduction: outward deformation of the mechanically sensitive ‘lower’ soma membrane. We call the response a negative gravikinesis because both Δ a and Δ p antagonize sedimentation.

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Abbreviations

Δ :

gravity-induced change in active propulsion

Δ a :

change in active propulsion as induced by anterior gravireceptor

Δ p :

change in active propulsion as induced by posterior gravireceptor

D :

rate of downward swimming

D i :

individual downward swimming rate

n :

number of data

P :

active propulsion of cell

Φ :

mean swimming angle

p :

probability

R :

scalar value of mean swimming rate

r o :

coefficient of orientation

r t :

coefficient of taxis response

S :

rate of sedimentation

β i :

individual angle of swimming direction

U :

rate of upward swimming

U i :

individual upward swimming rate

v i :

individual swimming rate

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arbeitsgruppe Zelluläre Erregungsphysiologie, Fakultät für Biologie, Ruhr-Universität, 1, Bochum, Federal Republic of Germany

    Hans Machemer, Sigrun Machemer-Röhnisch & Richard Bräucker

  2. Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, 113, Tokyo, Japan

    Keiichi Takahashi

Authors
  1. Hans Machemer
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  2. Sigrun Machemer-Röhnisch
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  3. Richard Bräucker
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  4. Keiichi Takahashi
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Machemer, H., Machemer-Röhnisch, S., Bräucker, R. et al. Gravikinesis in Paramecium: Theory and isolation of a physiological response to the natural gravity vector. J Comp Physiol A 168, 1–12 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217099

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