Prostaglandin I sub(2), a Possible Thermo-Sensory Mediator in Paramecium

Thermo-sensory mechanisms are little understood. The protozoan, Paramecium multimicronucleatum, is sensitive and responsive to a cooling stimulus. We found that inhibitors of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis reduced the response to the cooling stimulus. Inversely, the response suppressed by the inhib...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2000-07, Vol.273 (2), p.516-520
Main Authors: Murata, Tomohisa, Morii, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Yumiko, Matsumura, Kiyoshi, Watanabe, Yasuyoshi, Nakaoka, Yasuo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Paramecium
Paramecium multimicronucleatum
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Summary:Thermo-sensory mechanisms are little understood. The protozoan, Paramecium multimicronucleatum, is sensitive and responsive to a cooling stimulus. We found that inhibitors of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis reduced the response to the cooling stimulus. Inversely, the response suppressed by the inhibitors was recovered by application of stable PGI sub(2) analogs, including iloprost. Paramecium cells showed binding activity specific for [ super(3)H]iloprost. Moreover, an arachidonic acid metabolite, possibly PGI sub(2), was rapidly increased in response to the cooling stimulus, suggesting that prostaglandin biosynthesis plays a crucial role in the cooling-sensory transduction. Paramecium may be a useful model for the investigation of the molecular basis of thermo-sensory mechanisms.
ISSN:0006-291X
DOI:10.1006/bbrc.2000.2976