Summary
A mechanism of how the true slime moldPhysarum polycephalum detects electrolytes (repellents) has been studied by measuring the membrane potential and the motive force of tactic movement with the aid of a double chamber method. It was found that the mold detects electrolytes by utilizing a concentration dependence of the membrane potential. It was also demonstrated that the characteristic features of the membrane potential of the mold closely resembled those of a liquid ion-exchange membrane. This suggested that the membrane potential in chemotaxis of the mold is based not on the mechanism specific to biological membranes, but on the usual physicochemical mechanism.
Present results suggested a significance of phenomena at the cell membrane-extracellular solution interface rather than a participation of specific receptor molecule(s) in the detection process of the mold.
And a possible detection process was discussed.
Zusammenfassung
Es wurde mit Hilfe der Messungen des Membranpotentials und der treibenden Kraft zur taktischen Bewegung mittels der Doppel-Kammer-Methode studiert, wie der echte SchleimpilzPhysarum polycephalum Elektrolyten (die Ablehnungsmittel) wahrnimmt. Zur Wahrnehmung nützt der Pilz die Abhängigkeit des Membranpotentials von der Elektrolyten-Konzentration aus. Die charakteristischen Merkmale des Membranpotentials des Pilzes sind denen von flüssigen Ionenaustauschmembranen sehr ähnlich.
Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, daß für die Erkennung Grenzflächen-Phänomene zwischen der Zellmembran und der extrazellularen Lösung wichtiger sind als spezifische Rezeptormoleküle.
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Hato, M. Membrane phenomena in chemotaxis in true slime moldPhysarum polycephalum . Colloid & Polymer Sci 257, 397–405 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01521576
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01521576