| Title: | Searching for a Mate: Pheromone-Directed Movement of the Benthic Diatom Seminavis robusta |
| Author(s): | Bondoc KG; Lembke C; Vyverman W; Pohnert G; |
| Address: | "Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany. Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany. Georg.Pohnert@uni-jena.de. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany. Georg.Pohnert@uni-jena.de" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00248-016-0796-7 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1432-184X (Electronic) 0095-3628 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Diatoms are species-rich microalgae that often have a unique life cycle with vegetative cell size reduction followed by size restoration through sexual reproduction of two mating types (MT(+) and MT(-)). In the marine benthic diatom Seminavis robusta, mate-finding is mediated by an L-proline-derived diketopiperazine, a pheromone produced by the attracting mating type (MT(-)). Here, we investigate the movement patterns of cells of the opposite mating type (MT(+)) exposed to a pheromone gradient, using video monitoring and statistical modeling. We report that cells of the migrating mating type (MT(+)) respond to pheromone gradients by simultaneous chemotaxis and chemokinesis. Changes in movement behavior enable MT(+) cells to locate the direction of the pheromone source and to maximize their encounter rate towards it" |
| Keywords: | "*Chemotaxis Diatoms/*physiology Diketopiperazines/chemistry Models, Biological Pheromones/*chemistry Reproduction Chemoattraction Chemokinesis Chemotaxis Diatoms Mating success Modeling Pheromone;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBondoc, Karen Grace V Lembke, Christine Vyverman, Wim Pohnert, Georg eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2016/06/05 Microb Ecol. 2016 Aug; 72(2):287-94. doi: 10.1007/s00248-016-0796-7. Epub 2016 Jun 3" |
