Gliding Motility

Häder, Donat‐P.; Hoiczyk, Egbert

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-9683-7_1

Cited by 33 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 147 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…2). As cyanobacteria have been reported to react to mechanical stimuli (Haeder & Hoiczyk 1992), it seems likely that in the described case many ciliates swimming constantly around the mat in search of food touched the trichomes repeatedly, making them move. Still, the trichomes did not leave the initial piece of mat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…What is more, after decline and encystment of Nassula sp., the population of the cyanobacteria quickly recovered (Canter et al 1990). It cannot be excluded that the described cyanobacteria also developed some kind of defense.Gliding motility is known to help cyanobacteria to optimize their position in the habitat (Haeder & Hoiczyk 1992). Remaining inside dense clumps or stiff sheaths apparently has advantages as a protection against grazers, but at the same time it limits the cyanobacteria's ability to search actively for the most suitable habitat.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Dependence of cyanobacteria defense mode on grazer pressure

Fiałkowska

Pajdak‐Stós²

2002

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In a series of experiments we investigated the ability of a cyanobacterium of the genus Phormidium to defend itself against the ciliate grazer Furgasonia blochmanni. The experiments showed that the cyanobacterium can employ different modes of defense, depending on grazer density. Under high grazer pressure, each mat of Phormidium instantly formed a dense clump surrounded by a mucilage layer. Trichomes remaining inside such clumps were completely inaccessible to ciliates. Under medium pressure, the defense reaction was slower and consisted in enhanced sheath production by individual trichomes. The effectiveness of such a defense was also very high, as clearly reflected in the condition of the ciliates. When the pressure was low, the cyanobacteria did not exhibit any form of defense, dispersing evenly all over the bottom in a pattern similar to that observed in control mats. We conclude that the cyanobacterium is able to modify its defense reaction according to the real grazing risk.KEY WORDS: Cyanobacteria · Anti-herbivore defense · Ciliate pressure Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherAquat Microb Ecol 27: [149][150][151][152][153][154][155][156][157] 2002 and Ph2, revealed an inducible defense capability against ciliates by means of withdrawing inside the sheaths when disturbed by grazers. Trichomes ending in empty sheaths turned out to be completely inaccessible for the ciliates (Fia8kowska & Pajdak-Stós 1997). In Phormidium autumnale, the same purpose is served by a protective layer of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) shielding the initial piece of mat in which filaments are embedded; the defense reaction is engaged in the presence of different grazer species (Pajdak-Stós et al. 2001). However, the phenomenon was investigated only at invariable grazer density. During closer observations of the cyanobacteria mats used for feeding our ciliate cultures, we noticed interesting changes in their appearance. We suspected that those changes might be related to different ciliate densities in the culture dishes and designed a set of experiments to determine whether the cyanobacteria mode of defense depends on grazer pressure. MATERIALS AND METHODSA strain of an unidentified species of the cyanobacterium Phormidium called Ph2 in our previous paper (Fia8kowska & Pajdak-Stós 1997) and a clone of a nassulinid ciliate Furgassonia blochmanni were used for experiments. This free-living, freshwater ciliate occurs naturally in ponds and puddles along with filamentous cyanobacteria like Ph2, which form mats on the sediment surface. F. blochmanni is equipped with a cytopharyngeal apparatus, a highly specialized structure that enables the ciliate to ingest long threads of cyanobacteria (Eisler & Bardele 1986, Vigues et al. 1999.Clonal populations of experimental organisms were obtained from a single filament (Phormidium sp.) and a single cell (Furgassonia blochmanni) taken from an aquarium maintained non-axenically at the Department of Hydrobiology, Jagiellonian University, ...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dependence of cyanobacteria defense mode on grazer pressure

Fiałkowska

Pajdak‐Stós²

2002

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Haeder & Hoiczyk (1992) suggest that the production of mucilage is connected with trichome movements. Castenholz (1982) says that the back and forth movements of a trichome can thicken its sheath by adding new material to the inside.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Phormidium autumnale (Cyanobacteria) defense against three ciliate grazer species

Pajdak‐Stós¹,

Fiałkowska²,

Fyda³

2001

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Investigations of the effects of grazing by 3 species of ciliates -Pseudomicrothorax dubius Peck, Nassula citrea Kahl and Furgasonia blochmanni Faure-Fremiet -on mats of Phormidium autumnale (Agardh) Gomont showed that the cyanobacterium was capable of surviving very strong grazer pressure, thanks to both an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) layer and behavioral defense. In the presence of ciliates, cyanobacteria trichomes were confined to a protective layer of extracellular material enclosing the mat. Trichomes attacked by a ciliate usually escaped by retreating within the EPS layer. The effectiveness of this kind of defense was reflected in dramatic changes in the condition of the ciliates: within 30 h of the start of the experiments a significant fraction was starved because they were unable to reach trichomes hidden within the shielding EPS layer.

show abstract

“…Pennate diatoms with a raphe use EPS in locomotion, but not as propulsive agents (Häder and Hoiczyk, 1992), and desmids also use EPS to move, exuding hydrating polysaccharides which drive the cell "like a jet" (Häder and Hoiczyk, 1992). Motile algae and cyanobacteria leave EPS trails on the substratum over which they are moving.…”

Section: Production and Function Of Eps In Unicellular Organismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The utiquity and many roles of exopolymers (EPS) in aquatic systems

Wotton¹

2004

Sci. Mar.

117

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARY: Exopolymers (EPS) are produced by unicellular and multicellular organisms. They consist largely of polysaccharides that hydrate rapidly on contact with water and link to form gels. EPS have many uses: in attachment; in locomotion on substrata; as a protection against predators, pathogens and changes in physico-chemical conditions; as a means of overcoming the threat of dessication; in preventing abrasion; and in feeding. When free of organisms, some EPS form loosely associated polymer gels that are important in the development of organic matter aggregates. These aggregates, together with mucus-bound faecal pellets, play an essential role in nutrient cycling, and in the metabolism of ecosystems.Key words: EPS, exopolymers, mucus, unicellular organisms, multicellular organisms, fibrils, flocs, aggregates. RESUMEN: UBICUIDAD Y FUNCIONES DIVERSAS DE LOS EXOPOLÍMEROS (EPS) EN LOS SISTEMAS ACUÁTICOS. -Los exopolímeros (EPS)son producidos por organismos unicelulares y pluricelulares. Están constituidos fundamentalmente por polisacáridos que se hidratan rápidamente en contacto con el agua y se unen para formar geles. Los EPS tienen muchos usos; en la fijación; en la locomoción sobre sustratos; como protección contra los depredadores, los patógenos y los cambios en la condiciones fisicoquímicas; como una manera de contrarrestar el peligro de la desecación; para evitar la abrasión, y en la alimentación. Cuando se hallan libres de organismos, algunos EPS forman geles de polímeros asociados de manera laxa que son importantes para el desarrollo de agregados de materia orgánica. Estos agregados, junto con los paquetes fecales cohesionados con mucus, desempeñan un papel esencial en el ciclado de los nutrientes y en el metabolismo de los ecosistemas.

show abstract

Gliding Motility

Cited by 33 publications

References 147 publications

Dependence of cyanobacteria defense mode on grazer pressure

Dependence of cyanobacteria defense mode on grazer pressure

Phormidium autumnale (Cyanobacteria) defense against three ciliate grazer species

The utiquity and many roles of exopolymers (EPS) in aquatic systems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About