QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

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

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 200, Issue 11 1593-1606, Copyright © 1997 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

The role of Ca2+ in deflection-induced excitation of motile, mechanoresponsive balancer cilia in the ctenophore statocyst

B Lowe
Boston University Marine Program, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA. blowe@codon.nih.gov

Motile, mechanoresponsive cilia (balancers) in ctenophore statocysts, like vertebrate hair cells, are excited or inhibited depending upon the direction in which they are deflected. Balancers, however, may become either excited (beat rapidly) or inhibited (beat slowly) by deflection in the same direction, depending on the sign of ctenophore geotaxis (positive or negative). The beat frequency of many cilia is controlled by concentrations of Ca2+, membrane potential and neural input. How these factors affect deflection-induced ciliary beating in balancers was investigated. Deflection-induced excitation of balancers in whole Mnemiopsis leidyi larvae and dissected adult (Mnemiopsis leidyi, Pleurobrachia pileus) statocysts was reversibly inhibited by the Ca2+ channel inhibitors Co2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, and Mn2+. Deflection-induced excitation in balancers of isolated adult M. leidyi balancer groups was also inhibited by Co2+ or by Ca(2+)-free medium. Isolated balancer group cilia, like balancer cilia of intact ctenophores, exhibited responses to either sign of geotaxis and graded responses to deflection. Isolated balancers that were chemically depolarized in high-[K+], Ca(2+)-free medium were excited by local application of Ca2+ onto the ciliary bases, but not onto the cell bases or the ciliary tips. It is proposed that deflection-induced excitation of balancers is due to influx of Ca2+ through stretch- and voltage-activated channel activity. The sign of geotaxis of whole larvae and dissected adult statocysts was switched by electrical stimulation. Thus, neural input may participate in reversing the directional sensitivity of balancer cells.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. R. Strathmann Time and Extent of Ciliary Response to Particles in a Non-Filtering Feeding Mechanism Biol. Bull., April 1, 2007; 212(2): 93 - 103. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]