spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nakaoka, Y.
Right arrow Articles by Usukura, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nakaoka, Y.
Right arrow Articles by Usukura, J.

Journal of Cell Science, Vol 99, Issue 1 67-72, Copyright © 1991 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Photoreception of Paramecium cilia: localization of photosensitivity and binding with anti-frog-rhodopsin IgG

Y Nakaoka, R Tokioka, T Shinozawa, J Fujita and J Usukura
Department of Biophysical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan.

Paramecium bursaria is photosensitive and accumulates in a lighted area. The cells can be deciliated by a brief suspension in dilute ethanol. Both intact and deciliated cells showed depolarization in response to light stimulation by a step-increase from dark to above 0.7 mW cm-2 (550 nm). On the other hand, after a step-increase to below 0.4 mW cm-1, intact cells showed hyperpolarization, while the deciliated cells showed no change in membrane potential. This difference in membrane potential response between ciliated and deciliated cells suggests that both somatic and ciliary structures are photosensitive. In our search for the photoreceptive molecules, a polyclonal antibody induced in rabbits against frog rhodopsin was found to cross-react with a 63x10(3) Mr protein of P. bursaria, by immunoelectrophoresis. Immunocytochemical studies showed that the antibody labeling was localized on both the ciliary and the somatic membranes. These results raise the possibility that P. bursaria may contain a rhodopsin-like protein as a photoreceptor molecule.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Exp. Biol.Home page
K. Sobierajska, H. Fabczak, and S. Fabczak
Phosducin interacts with the G-protein {beta}{gamma}-dimer of ciliate protozoan Blepharisma japonicum upon illumination
J. Exp. Biol., December 1, 2007; 210(23): 4213 - 4223.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Exp. Biol.Home page
T. Sasaki, Y. Konoha, T. Toyoda, Y. Yasaka, E. Przybos, and Y. Nakaoka
Correlation between thermotolerance and membrane properties in Paramecium aurelia
J. Exp. Biol., September 15, 2006; 209(18): 3580 - 3586.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1991