Blepharismins used for chemical defense in two ciliate species of the genus Blepharisma, B. stoltei and B. undulans (Ciliophora: Heterotrichida)

Autor: F. Buonanno, A. Anesi, G. Guella, C. Ortenzi
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: The European Zoological Journal, Vol 84, Iss 1, Pp 402-409 (2017)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2475-0263
24750263
48067210
DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2017.1353145
Popis: It is known that the freshwater heterotrich ciliate Blepharisma japonicum uses five pigments called blepharismins, stored in its extrusive pigment granules, for both light perception and chemical defense against predators. In this work we focused our attention on the defensive strategies of two additional pigmented species of Blepharisma, B. stoltei and B. undulans. In particular: (1) we observed the predator–prey interactions of B. stoltei or B. undulans against one multicellular and two unicellular predators; (2) we clarified the nature of B. stoltei and B. undulans pigments by means of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS); and (3) we demonstrated and compared the toxicity of the purified pigments on a panel of ciliated protists, and against one metazoan predator. The results indicate that the chemical defense mechanism present in B. stoltei and B. undulans is mediated by the same five blepharismins previously characterized for B. japonicum, although produced in different proportions.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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