New light sensor molecules of single-cell ciliates

Nengbing Tao; Pill-Soon Song

doi:10.1117/12.174060

1 May 1994 New light sensor molecules of single-cell ciliates

Nengbing Tao, Pill-Soon Song

Proceedings Volume 2189, Smart Structures and Materials 1994: Smart Materials; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.174060
Event: 1994 North American Conference on Smart Structures and Materials, 1994, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

The unicellular ciliate, Stentor coeruleus, exhibits sensitive light-avoiding behavior. The photosensor stentorin showed a (M - H)^- at 591.1304, which is in accord with the formula C₃₄H₂₃O₁₀. Acetylated stentorin, when FAB-desorbed as (M + H)⁺, shows a series of ions indicating the presence of eight hydroxyl groups. Additional confirmation is a collisionally activated decomposition (CAD) spectrum of the (M + H)⁺ of the octaacetate. The NMR spectrum of stentorin shows characteristic signals of isopropyl groups. Similar studies indicate that photosensor blepharismin from Blepharisma japonicum is structurally different from stentorin. Time-resolved fluorescence decays indicated that a primary event occurs within a few picoseconds. The stimulus light signal absorbed/perceived by Stentor and possibly by Blepharisma, is apparently amplified by a transient calcium influx into the cell. Preliminary studies suggest that signal transduction in both organisms utilizes G-protein(s) as an initial transducer and a cGMP-phosphodiesterase as the effector system, analogous to the visual system of higher animals.

Citation Download Citation

Nengbing Tao and Pill-Soon Song "New light sensor molecules of single-cell ciliates", Proc. SPIE 2189, Smart Structures and Materials 1994: Smart Materials, (1 May 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.174060

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