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Signal Recognition in Lower Organisms: Light-Induced Control of Cell Movement in the Ciliates Blepharisma and Stentor

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Molecular Life Sciences

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Synopsis

Unicellular organisms, such as related ciliates Blepharisma and Stentor, show a number of light-induced motile responses to spatial and temporal variations in the photic environment. Thanks to these photosensory capabilities, in unevenly lighted areas both species accumulate in places of optimal light intensity (photodispersal) most suitable for their growth, survival, and development. Both microorganisms lack clearly specified sense organs, as are found in multicellular organisms, however they bear conspicuous subpellicular granules (photoreceptive units) able to perceive the quantity and quality of light. The absorption of photons by cells is thereby converted to internal biophysical/biochemical signals, resulting in the modification of ciliary beating and hence the pattern of motile behavior. Blepharisma and Stentorhave been found quite suitable for the study of cellular photoreception employing different biophysical or biochemical experimental methods as well as...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

    Hanna Fabczak & Stanisław Fabczak

Authors
  1. Hanna Fabczak
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  2. Stanisław Fabczak
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Correspondence to Stanisław Fabczak .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    Robert D. Wells

  2. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

    Judith S. Bond

  3. Department of Chemistry Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California The california institute for Quanti, Berkeley, California, USA

    Judith Klinman

  4. Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Health Science C, San Antonio, Texas, USA

    Bettie Sue Siler Masters

  5. Dept of Chemistry, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Ellis Bell

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Fabczak, H., Fabczak, S. (2015). Signal Recognition in Lower Organisms: Light-Induced Control of Cell Movement in the Ciliates Blepharisma and Stentor . In: Wells, R., Bond, J., Klinman, J., Masters, B., Bell, E. (eds) Molecular Life Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6436-5_734-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6436-5_734-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6436-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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