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Related Experiment Videos

Cold-sensitive Ca2+ influx in Paramecium

T Kuriu1, Y Nakaoka, Y Oosawa

  • 1International Institute for Advanced Research, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Kyoto, Japan.

The Journal of Membrane Biology
|November 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Cooling Paramecium cells triggers a transient rise in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) at the cell

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Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Ion channel research
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Paramecium exhibits cold-sensitive responses.
  • Calcium ions (Ca2+) play crucial roles in cellular signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of intracellular calcium in Paramecium's cold-sensitive response.
  • To identify the ion channels involved in cold-induced cellular changes.

Main Methods:

  • Fluorescence imaging of intracellular calcium using Fluo-3 and Fura-Red dyes.
  • Electrophysiological recordings (voltage-clamp) to monitor membrane potential and currents.
  • Manipulating extracellular ion concentrations (Ca2+, Co2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Ba2+, Sr2+).

Main Results:

  • Cooling deciliated Paramecium caused a transient increase in intracellular calcium at the anterior region.
  • Cooling induced transient membrane depolarization and inward currents, dependent on extracellular calcium.
  • The cold-induced inward current showed permeability to Ca2+, Ba2+, and Sr2+, but not Co2+, Mg2+, or Mn2+.

Conclusions:

  • Paramecium possesses calcium-permeable ion channels in its anterior membrane.
  • These channels are activated by cooling, leading to calcium influx.
  • The findings elucidate a novel cold-sensing mechanism involving calcium channels in Paramecium.

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