Skip to main content
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1978 Dec;36(6):847–850. doi: 10.1128/aem.36.6.847-850.1978

Quantitative assay for algal chemotaxis.

R D Sjoblad, I Chet, R Mitchell
PMCID: PMC243156  PMID: 32834

Abstract

A quantitative capillary assay is described for measuring chemoreception in the neritic and littoral unicellular alga Dunaliella tertiolecta. Lucite chemotaxis plates were used in the assay with 3-microliter capillaries. A Coulter Counter was employed to determine algal cell numbers. D. tertiolecta is attracted to ammonium ion with a maximum positive response at 10(-3) M. Inclusion of calcium and L-methionine in the chemotaxis medium stimulates algal chemoreception, although neither chemical is essential for motility. Attraction of the chlorophyte to ammonium is dependent on time of incubation, cell density, and pH. The optimum pH for attraction was found to be 6.25.

Full text

PDF
848

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adler J. Chemoreceptors in bacteria. Science. 1969 Dec 26;166(3913):1588–1597. doi: 10.1126/science.166.3913.1588. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aveldaño M. I., Bazán N. G. Displacement into incubation medium by albumin of highly unsaturated retina free fatty acids arising from membrane lipids. FEBS Lett. 1974 Mar 15;40(1):53–56. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(74)80892-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Koshland D. E., Jr A response regulator model in a simple sensory system. Science. 1977 Jun 3;196(4294):1055–1063. doi: 10.1126/science.870969. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Loeblich A. R., 3rd, Smith V. E. Chloroplast pigments of the marine dinoflagellateGyrodinium resplendens. Lipids. 1968 Jan;3(1):5–13. doi: 10.1007/BF02530961. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ordal G. W. Calcium ion regulates chemotactic behaviour in bacteria. Nature. 1977 Nov 3;270(5632):66–67. doi: 10.1038/270066a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Palleroni N. J. Chamber for bacterial chemotaxis experiments. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1976 Nov;32(5):729–730. doi: 10.1128/aem.32.5.729-730.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Springer M. S., Goy M. F., Adler J. Sensory transduction in Escherichia coli: two complementary pathways of information processing that involve methylated proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Aug;74(8):3312–3316. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.8.3312. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES