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Behavioral studies into the mechanism of eukaryotic chemotaxis

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Abstract

Recent behavioral studies designed to elucidate the mechanism of chemotaxis to cAMP in the eukaroyteDictyostelium discoideum are reviewed. In these studies, ambae were analyzed by the newly developed, computer-assisted dynamic morphology system while (1) chemotaxing in a spatial gradient of cAMP, (2) responding to repeated temporal waves of cAMP in the absence of a spatial gradient in a Sykes-Moore chamber, and (3) responding to rapid shifts in cAMP concentration. It is demonstrated that eukaryotic amebae do indeed have the capacity to assess the direction of a temporal gradient, which indicates that they must have a “memory” system for this purpose. It is also demonstrated that amebae regulate behavior in spatial and temporal gradients of chemoattractant through changes in: (1) velocity; (2) frequency of pseudopod formation; and (3) frequency of turning. Analogies to the bacterial system are apparent.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Iowa, 52242, Iowa City, Iowa

    David R. Soll

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Soll, D.R. Behavioral studies into the mechanism of eukaryotic chemotaxis. J Chem Ecol 16, 133–150 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01021275

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