Abstract
The cell-wall lysin in gametes from Chlamydomonas reinhardii which under normal mating conditions is activated by flagellar cell contact was found to be susceptible to stimulation by the antibiotic ionophore A 23187 provided that CA2+ was included in the medium. Ionophore-induced release of the cell-wall lysin did not deend on the mating type or the gametic state of the cells. Vegetative cells which normally do not exhibit any mating capacity reacted with cell-wall lysis like gametes stimulated by cell contact.
Ionophore-dependent Ca2+-transfer across the cell membranes generated a signal for cell-wall lysis only in cells with intact flagella. Deflagellated cells did not respond to A 23187 before regeneration of the amputated organelles. Another indication for a possible role of flagella in Ca2+-mediated cell-wall lysis was obtained from a conditional flagellar-assembly mutant of C. reinhardii which had been isolated and described by Huang et al. (1977). Upon shift-up the mutant strain immediately became unresponsive to A 23187 and Ca2+ but regained susceptibility soon after being retransferred to permissive conditions (20°C).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carafoli, E., Clementi, F., Drabikowski, W., Margreth, A. (eds.): Calcium transport in contraction and secretion. Amsterdam, Oxford: North-Holland Publ. Comp. 1975
Claes, H.: Autolyse der Zellwand bei den Gameten von Chlamydomonas reinhardii. Arch. Microbiol. 78, 180–188 (1971)
Claes, H.: Influence of concanavalin A on autolysis of gametes from Chlamydomonas reinhardii. Arch. Microbiol. 103, 225–230 (1975)
Claes, H.: Non-specific stimulation of the autolytic system in gametes from Chlamydomonas reinhardii. Exp. Cell Res. 108, 221–229 (1977)
Gomperts, B. D.: Calcium and cell activation. In: Receptors and recognition (Series A) Vol. 2 (P. Cuatrecasas, M. F. Greaves, eds.), pp. 43–102. London: Chapman and Hall 1976
Goodenough, U. W., Weiss, R. L.: Gametic differentiation in Chlamydomonas reinhardii. III. Cell wall lysis and microfilamentassociated mating structure activation in wild-type and mutant strains. J. Cell Biol. 67, 623–637 (1975)
Goodenough, U. W., Jurivich, D. J.: Tipping and mating-structure activation induced in Chlamydomonas gametes by flagellar membrane antisera. J. Cell Biol. 79, 680–693 (1978)
Huang, B., Rifkin, M. R., Luck, D. J. L., Kozler, V.: Temperaturesensitive mutations affecting flagellar assembly and function in Chlamydomonas reinhardii. J. Cell Biol. 72, 67–85 (1977)
Rasmussen, H., Goodman, D. B. P., Tenenhouse, A.: The role of cyclic AMP and calcium in cell activation. Critical Reviews in Biochemistry 1, 95–148 (1972)
Roberts, K.: Crystalline glycoprotein cell walls of algae: Their structure, composition and assembly. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 268, 129–146 (1974)
Schlösser, U. G.: Enzymatisch gesteuerte Freisetzung von Zoosporen bei Chlamydomonas reinhardii Dangeard in Synchronkultur. Arch. Microbiol. 54, 129–159 (1966)
Schlösser, U. G., Sachs, H., Robinson, D. G.: Isolation of protoplasts by means of a “species-specific” autolysin in Chlamydomonas. Protoplasma 88, 51–64 (1976)
Solter, K. M., Gibor, A.: Evidence for role of flagella as sensory transducers in mating of Chlamydomonas reinhardii. Nature (Lond.) 265, 444–445 (1977)
Sueoka, N.: Mitotic replication of deoxyribonucleic acid in Chlamydomonas reinhardii. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 46, 83–91 (1960)
Weiss, R. L., Goodenough, D. A., Goodenough, U. W.: Membrane differentiation at sites specialized for cell fusion. J. Cell Biol. 72, 144–160 (1977)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Claes, H. Calcium lonophore-induced stimulation of secretory activity in Chlamydomonas reinhardii . Arch. Microbiol. 124, 81–86 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407032
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407032