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Cited by 8Spaceflight effects on biologyVestibular and auditory disordersProtist diversity and phylogeny

Gravitaxis of Bursaria truncatella: electrophysiological and behavioural analyses of a large ciliate cell

Krause, Martin, Bräucker, Richard·2009·European Journal of Protistology
DOI 10.1016/j.ejop.2008.09.001
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Abstract

Bursaria truncatella is a giant ciliate. Its volume of 3 x 10(7)microm(3) and a sedimentation rate of 923microm s(-1) would induce the cell to rapidly sink to the bottom of a pond unless compensating mechanisms exist. The upward swimming behaviour of a cell population (negative gravitaxis) may be either a result of reorientations of the cells (graviorientation) and/or direction-dependent changes in propulsion rate (gravikinesis). The special statocyst hypothesis assumes a stimulation of mechanosensitive ion channels by forces of the cytoplasmic mass acting on the lower membrane. Here, we present basic electrophysiological data on B. truncatella. Investigation of the mechanosensitivity reveals a polar distribution of depolarising and hyperpolarising mechanosensitive channels at least on the dorsal membrane of the cell. Analysis of swimming behaviour demonstrates that Bursaria orients against the gravity vector (r(Oc)=0.34) and performs a negative gravikinesis (-633microm s(-1)) compensating the sedimentation rate by 70%. Under hypergravity conditions gravitaxis in Bursaria is enhanced. Microgravity experiments indicate an incomplete relaxation of graviresponses during 4s of weightlessness. Experimental data are in accordance with the special statocyst hypothesis of graviperception, as was demonstrated in other ciliates.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.ejop.2008.09.001

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  • Various single-celled eukaryotes (protists) and ciliated larvae of sponges devoid of neurons can display sophisticated behaviours, including phototaxis, gravitaxis or chemotaxis.

    “Various single-celled eukaryotes (protists) and the ciliated larvae of sponges devoid of neurons can display sophisticated behaviours, including phototaxis, gravitaxis or chemotaxis.”

    From Origin and early evolution of neural circuits for the control of ciliary locomotion (2011) · cites this paper as [29]

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Authors
Krause, M., & Bräucker, R.
Affiliations
  • Ruhr University Bochum (DE)
  • Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) (DE)
Corresponding author
Krause, Martin
ORCID
Krause, Martin
Venue
European Journal of Protistology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-05
Volume
45
Issue
2
Pages
98-111
ISSN
0932-4739 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.ejop.2008.09.001
OpenAlex
W2004300740
Cited by
8
References
34
Citations by year
2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1
FWCI
0.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • European Journal of Protistology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Spaceflight effects on biology
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Vestibular and auditory disorders
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protist diversity and phylogeny
Keywords
gravitaxis, mechanosensitive ion channels, hypergravity, microgravity, cell polarity, sedimentation
MeSH terms
Animals, Behavior, Animal, Gravitation, Locomotion, Membrane Potentials, Orientation, Ciliophora, Gravity Sensing, Electrophysiological Phenomena

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