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Using Inhibitors to Investigate the Involvement of Cell Signaling in Predation by Marine Phagotrophic Protists
Author(s) -
HARTZ AARON J.,
SHERR BARRY F.,
SHERR EVELYN B.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2007.00297.x
Subject(s) - biology , dinoflagellate , predation , signal transduction , ciliate , microbiology and biotechnology , cell signaling , cell , ecology , biochemistry
. Phagotrophic protists are major consumers of microbial biomass in aquatic ecosystems. However, biochemical mechanisms underlying prey recognition and phagocytosis by protists are not well understood. We investigated the potential roles of cell signaling mechanisms in chemosensory response to prey, and in capture of prey cells, by a marine ciliate ( Uronema sp.) and a heterotrophic dinoflagellate ( Oxyrrhis marina ). Inhibition of protein kinase signal transduction biomolecules caused a decrease in both chemosensory response and predation. Inhibition of G‐protein coupled receptor signaling pathways significantly decreased chemosensory response but had no effect on prey ingestion. Inhibitor compounds did not appear to affect general cell health, but had a targeted effect. These results support the idea that cell signaling pathways known in other eukaryotic organisms are involved in feeding behavior of free‐living protists.