Ciliate Communication via Water-Borne Pheromones

Abstract

Ciliates communicate via diffusible signaling pheromones that have been identified in association with genetic mechanisms of mating types, either binary or multiple, that control the ciliate-specific sexual phenomenon of conjugation. Except for a glycoprotein and a tryptophan-related molecule acting as pheromones in Blepharisma, the other pheromones are cysteine-rich proteins varying in length among Euplotes species from 32 to 109 amino acid residues. These proteins are all structurally homologous sharing a common three-helix bundle fold, which allows them to bind cells in competition with one another in close analogy with the families of protein growth factors and cytokines of multicellular organisms. Although identified in the extracellular environment for their mating-induction activity, pheromones act also, and presumably primarily, as autocrine growth factors that bind to, and promote the reproduction of the same cells from which they are constitutively released

Genetic Diversity in Marine Planktonic Ciliates (Alveolata, Ciliophora) Suggests Distinct Geographical Patterns – Data From Chinese and European Coastal Waters

“…Following identical protocols, 80 samples were taken from Chinese and European coastal surface waters between October 2017 and November 2018, namely, one day and one night sample per season at each site (Supplementary Table 1); the high spatiotemporal sampling aimed to capture as much of the biodiversity of planktonic ciliates as possible. Our sampling sites belong to different Longhurst ecological provinces: the Northeast Atlantic Shelves, the Mediterranean Sea, and the China Seas Coastal provinces (Longhurst, 2007). The Chinese sampling (n = 32) was performed at four sites along the coast of southern China, i.e., in Aotou (coastal town), Donghai Island, Futian (mangrove wetland), and Hailing Island.…”

Recursive Evolution: A Tale of Natural ID

“…• Direct physical interactions, cell-to-cell and organism-to-organism [34] • Chemical (pheromones) [35] • Electrostatics (ions transfers) [36] • Electrostatic field [37] • Electromagnetic (wave generations, light, UV light) [38] • Magnetic field [39] • Microwave transmission [40] • Coded [40,41] • By universal patterns [41] • By relay, i.e., transferring signal from one body to another using intermediate body [42] • Hierarchically [43] • Transferring information by viruses and bacteria [24,44,45] • Using phased antenna array principle [46] • By signal amplification including multi-stage cascades [47] • By using a resonance [48] • By the means of quantum communication [49][50][51] The above spectrum of available communication means enables biosphere's organisms for both close range as well as distant information transmission. Signals transferring are protected from distortion by certain codes' patterns that are presumably universal for all organisms of different evolution level [41].…”

Conjugation in Euplotes raikovi (Protista, Ciliophora): New Insights into Nuclear Events and Macronuclear Development from Micronucleate and Amicronucleate Cells

“…The number of mating types varies greatly among species, from two as in Paramecium aurelia [18], to seven as in Tetrahymena thermophila [32], to many as in Euplotes [33][34][35][36]. In Euplotes, each mating type is determined by the allele combination at the 'mating type locus' of the germline MIC [37][38][39]. These mat alleles control the synthesis of waterborne signaling molecules known as pheromones, which are able to promote both sex and proliferation according to the type of interaction with specific cell surface receptors [37].…”

“…In Euplotes, each mating type is determined by the allele combination at the 'mating type locus' of the germline MIC [37][38][39]. These mat alleles control the synthesis of waterborne signaling molecules known as pheromones, which are able to promote both sex and proliferation according to the type of interaction with specific cell surface receptors [37].…”