Abstract
A three-dimensional model of the flagellateEuglena gracilis was developed to simulate phototaxis and movement in space. The simulation of the phototactic behavior was compared with thein vivo behavior in order to determine the mechanism of orientation with respect to light. Phototactic behavior with respect to one light source, can be explained by the shading hypothesis as well as by a dichroic orientation of the absorbing vectors of the photoreceptor pigments. In contrast, the behavior of the cells when exposed to two perpendicular light beams is not compatible with the shading hypothesis. Likewise, the phototactic orientation of stigmaless cells cannot be accounted for on the basis of the shading hypothesis. In contrast, simulations andin vivo observations of the behavior under polarized light strongly indicate the validity of the dichroic orientation of the photoreceptor pigments.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Nultsch, W. and Häder, D.-P.: Photomovement in motile microorganisms II,Photochem. Photobiol. 47 (1988), 837.
Diehn, B., Feinleib, M., Haupt, W., Hildebrand, E., Lenci, F., and Nultsch, W.: Terminology of behavioral responses of motile microorganisms,Photochem. Photobiol. 26 (1977), 559.
Häder, D.-P.: Movement, in H. Senger (ed.),Blue Light Responses: Phenomena and Occurrence in Plants and Microorganisms, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1987, p. 101.
Häder, D.-P.: Photomovement in eukaryotic microorganisms,Photobiochem. Photobiophys. (1987), Suppl. 203.
Brinkmann, K.: Keine Geotaxis beiEuglena.Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 59 (1968) 12.
Häder, D.-P.: Polarotaxis, gravitaxis and vertical phototaxis in the green flagellate,Euglena gracilis, Arch. Microbiol. 147 (1987), 179.
Häder, D.-P., Vogel, K., and Schäfer, J.: Responses of the photosynthetic flagellate,Euglena gracilis, to microgravity,Microgravity Sci. Technol. III (1990), 110.
Wolken, J. J. and Shin, E.: Photomotion inEuglena gracilis. I. Photokinesis. II. Phototaxis,J. Protozool. 5 (1958), 39.
Diehn, B., Fonseca, J. R., and Jahn, T. L.: High speed cinemicrography of the direct photophobic response ofEuglena and the mechanism of negative phototaxis,J. Protozool. 22 (1975), 492.
Doughty, M. J. and Diehn, B.: Photosensory transduction in the flagellated alga,Euglena gracilis. I. Action of the divalent cations, Ca2+ antagonists and Ca2+-ionophoroes on motility and photobehavior,Biochim. Biophys. Acta 588 (1979), 148.
Doughty, M. J. and Diehn, B.: Photosensory transduction in the flagellated alga,Euglena gracillis. III. Induction of Ca2+-dependent responses by monovalent cation ionophores,Biochim. Biophys. Acta 682 (1982), 32.
Doughty, M. J. and Diehn, B.: Photosensory transduction in the flagellated alga,Euglena gracilis. IV. Long term effects of ions and pH on the expression of step-down photobehavior,Arch. Microbiol. 134 (1983), 204.
Doughty, M. J. and Diehn, B.: Anion sensitivity of motility and step-down photophobic response ofEuglena gracilis, Arch. Microbiol. 138 (1984), 329.
Häder, D.-P., Colombetti, G., Lenci, F., and Quaglia, M. Phototaxis in the flagellates,Euglena gracilis andOchromonas danica, Arch. Microbiol. 130 (1981), 78.
Häder, D.-P. and Lebert, M.: Real time computer-controlled tracking of motile microorganisms,Photochem. Photobiol. 42 (1985), 509.
Häder, D.-P., Lebert, M., and DiLena, M. R.: Effects of culture age and drugs on phototaxis in the green flagellate,Euglena gracilis, Plant Physiol. (Life Sci. Adv.) 6 (1987), 169.
Häder, D.-P. and Griebenow, K.: Orientation of the green flagellate,Euglena gracilis, in a vertical column of water,FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 53 (1988), 159.
Häder, D.-P.: Effects of UV-B on motility and photobehavior in the green flagellate,Euglena gracilis, Arch. Microbiol. 141 (1985), 159.
Häder, D.-P.: Effects of solar and artificial UV irradiation on motility and phototaxis in the flagellate,Euglena gracilis, Phototchem. Photobiol. 44 (1986), 651.
Häder, D.-P. and Häder, M. A.: Inhibition of motility and phototaxis in the green flagellate,Euglena gracilis, by UV-B radiation,Arch. Microbiol. 150 (1988), 20.
Häder, D.-P. and Häder, M.: Ultraviolet-B inhibition of motility in green and dark bleachedEuglena gracilis, Current Microbiol. 17 (1988), 215.
Häder, D.-P. and Liu, S.-M.: Motility and gravitactic orientation of the flagellate,Euglena gracilis, impaired by artificial and solar UV-B radiation,Curr. Microbiol. 21 (1990), 161.
Häder, D.-P. and Brodhun, B.: Effects of ultraviolet radiation on the photoreceptor proteins and pigments in the paraflagellar body of the flagellate,Euglena gracilis, J. Plant Phys. 137 (1991), 641.
Häder, D.-P.: Inhibition of phototaxis and motility by UV-B irradiation inDictyostelium discoideum slugs,Plant Cell Physiol. 24 (1983), 1545.
Häder, D.-P.: Effects of UV-B on motility and photoorientation in the cyanobacterium,Phormidium uncinatum, Arch. Microbiol. 140 (1984), 34.
Häder, D.-P.: Effects of UV-B irradiation on photomovement in the desmid,Cosmarium cucumis, Photochem. Photobiol. 46 (1987), 121.
Häder, D.-P., Watanabe, M., and Furuya, M.: Inhibition of motility in the cyanobacterium,Phormidium uncinatum, by solar and monochromatic UV irradiation,Plant Cell Physiol. 27 (1986), 887.
Bound, K. E. and Tollin, G.: Phototactic response ofEuglena gracilis to polarized light,Nature 216 (1967), 1042.
Diehn, B.: Action spectra of the phototactic responses inEuglena, Biochim.Biophys. Acta 177 (1969), 136.
Häder, D.-P. and Reinecke, E.: Phototactic and polarotactic responses of the photosynthetic flagellate,Euglena gracilis, Acta Protozool. 30 (1991), 13.
Colombetti, G., Häder, D.-P., Lenci, F., and Quaglia, M.: Phototaxis inEuglena gracilis: effect of sodium azide and triphenylmethyl phosphonium ion on the photosensory transduction chain,Current Microbiol. 7 (1982), 281.
Lenci, F., Colombetti, G., and Häder, D.-P.: Role of flavin quenchers and inhibitors in the sensory transduction of the negative phototaxis in the flagellate,Euglena gracilis, Current Microbiol. 9 (1983), 285.
Lenci, F., Häder, D.-P., and Colombetti, G.: Photosensory responses in freely motile microorganisms, in G. Colombetti and F. Lenci (eds.),Membranes and Sensory Transduction, Plenum Press, New York, 1989, p. 199.
Benedetti, P. A. and Lenci, F.:In vivo microspectro-fluorometry of photoreceptor pigments inEuglena gracilis, Photochem. Photobiol. 26 (1977), 315.
Ghetti, F., Colombetti, G., Lenci, F., Campani, E., Polacco, E., and Quaglia, M.: Fluorescence ofEuglena gracilis photoreceptor pigment: anin vitro microspectrofluorometric study,Photochem. Photobiol. 42 (1985), 29.
Piccinni, E. and Mammi, M.: Motor apparatus ofEuglena gracilis: ultrastructure of the basal portion of the flagellum and the paraflagellar body,Boll. Zool. 45 (1978), 405.
Gualtieri, P., Barsanti, L., and Rosati, G.: Isolation of the photoreceptor (paraflagellar body) of the phototactic flagellateEuglena gracilis, Arch. Microbiol. 145 (1986), 303.
Brodhun, B. and Häder, D.-P.: Photoreceptor proteins and pigments in the paraflagellar body of the flagellate,Euglena gracilis, Photochem. Photobiol. 52 (1990), 865.
Galland, P., Keiner, P., Dörnemann, D., Senger, H., Brodhun, B., and Häder, D.-P.: Pterin- and flavin-like fluorescence associated with isolated flagella ofEuglena gracilis, Photochem. Photobiol. 51 (1990), 675.
Mast, S. O.:Light and Behavior of Organisms, Wiley, New York; Chapman & Hall, London, 1911.
Gössel, I.: Über das Aktionsspektrum der Phototaxis chlorophyllfreier Euglenen und über die Absorption des Augenflecks,Arch. Mikrobiol. 27 (1957), 288.
Häder, D.-P., Lebert, M., and DiLena, M. R.: New evidence for the mechanism of phototactic orientation ofEuglena gracilis, Current Microbiol. 14 (1986), 157.
Creutz, C. and Diehn, B.: Motor responses to polarized light and gravity sensing inEuglena gracilis, J. Protozool. 23 (1976), 552.
Starr, R. C.: The culture collection of algae at Indiana University,Amer. J. Botany 51 (1964), 1013.
Checcucci, A., Colombetti, G., Ferrara, R., and Lenci, F.: Action spectra for photoaccumulation of green and colorlessEuglena: evidence for identification of receptor pigments,Photochem. Photobiol. 23 (1976), 51.
Häder, D.-P. and Vogel, K.: Simultaneous tracking of flagellates in real time by image analysis,J. Math. Biol. 30 (1991), 63.
Batschelet, E.: Statistical methods for the analysis of problems in animal orientation and certain biological rhythms, in S. R. Galles, K. Schmidt-Koenig, G. J. Jacobs, and R. F. Bellevile (eds.),Animal Orientation and Navigation, NASA, Washington 1965, p. 61.
Batschelet, E.:Circular Statistics in Biology, Academic Press, London, 1981.
Watt, A.:Fundamentals of Three-Dimensional Computer Graphics, Addison-Wesley Reading, MA, 1989.
Mardia, K. V.:Statistics of Directional Data, Academic Press, London, 1972.
Hejnoch, K.: Kurven mit Gewicht: Frei geformte Kurven und Flächen mittels B-Splines, c't12 (1988), 146.
PHIGS: PHIGS+ functional description,Computer Graphics 22 (1988), 3.
Gouraud, H.: Illumination for computer generated pictures,Comm. ACM 18 (60) (1971), 311.
Hall, R.:Illumination and Color in Computer Generated Imagery, Springer, New York, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1989.
Foley, J. D. and van Dam, A.:Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA (1982).
Hornung, C. and Pöpsel, J.: 3-D à la carte: Vom Drahtmodell zur schattierten Darstellung, c't4 (1989a), 240.
Hornung, C. and Pöpsel, J.: 3-D à la carte. Teil 2: Vom Drahtmodell zum Linienmodell, c't5 (1989b), 246.
Hornung, C. and Pöpsel, J.: 3-D à la carte. Teil 3: Vom Linienmodell zur Rasterdarstellung, c't7 (1989c), 122.
Hornung, C. and Pöpsel, J.: 3-D à la carte. Teil 4: Von der Flächendarstellung zur schattierten Darstellung, c't8 (1989d), 198.
Plenge, A.:3-D-Grafik und Animation, Markt und Technik, München, 1989.
Checcucci, A., Favati, L., Grassi, S., and Piaggesi, T. The measurement of phototactic activity inEuglena gracilis, Klebs. Monit. Zool. Ital. 9 (1975), 83.
Buder, J.: Zur Kenntnis der phototaktischen Richtungsbewegungen,Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. 58 (1971), 105.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Häder, DP. Simulation of phototaxis in the flagellateEuglena gracilis . J Biol Phys 19, 95–108 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00700253
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00700253