Abstract
Euglena were cultured under 3 W m-2 constant white light. In culture medium, cells show immediate and long lasting step-down photophobic responses and photoaccumulation behavior to blue light if dim red light-adapted for 30 min. However, if cells are suspended in buffered, saltcontaining solutions (adaptation buffers), strong step-down photobehavior and photoaccumulation responses are not observed for several hours. These behaviors gradually increase in strength to reach a maximum after 6–12 h; after which a stable response is maintained. The relative rates of appearance and the relative strengths of the responses are influenced by the concentrations of Ca2+ and K+, but not H+ or Na+ ions, in the adaptation buffers. Expression of the stepdown photobehavior thus requires that the cells adapt to the chemical environment in which they are suspended.
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Abbreviations
- Hepes:
-
N-2-hydroxypiperazine-N′-2-ethanesulfonic acid
- Mes:
-
2(N-morpholino)-ethanesulfonic acid
- Pipes:
-
piperazine-N,N′-bis (2-ethanesulfonic acid)
- Taps:
-
tris(hydroxymethyl) methylaminopropanesulfonic acid
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This work was supported, in part, by grant No. PCM-79-05320 from the U.S. National Science Foundation to B.D.
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Doughty, M.J., Diehn, B. Photosensory transduction in the flagellated alga, Euglena gracilis . Arch. Microbiol. 134, 204–207 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407758
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407758