Open AccessFertilization, including chemotactic phenomena in the Fucaceae
Author(s) -
A. H. Cook,
J. A. Elvidge,
I. M. Heilbron
Publication year - 1948
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series b, biological sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9193
pISSN - 0080-4649
DOI - 10.1098/rspb.1948.0012
Subject(s) - chemotaxis , fucus vesiculosus , human fertilization , attraction , chemistry , chemotaxis assay , biology , botany , microbiology and biotechnology , algae , biochemistry , anatomy , receptor , linguistics , philosophy
Chemotaxis between gametes particularly of the Fucaceae is discussed and techniques for its detection described. Cell-free preparations ofFucus serratus andF. vesiculosus eggs have been obtained which exert a chemotactic attraction on the sperms ofF. serratus ,F. vesiculosus andF. spiralis , the same chemotactic mechanism among these closely related species being indicated. The chemotactic principle is easily expelled from aqueous solution by a stream of inert gas, and may be recovered in a cooled receiver; it seems therefore to be a simple compound. Various arylacetic acids have a marked effect on theFucus sperms studied but this effect is distinct from true chemotaxis and is not related to the plant hormone or herbicide activities of the responsible acids.