Adaptation ofChlamydomonas phototaxis: I. A light-scattering apparatus for measuring the phototactic rate of microorganisms with high time resolution

Photoreceptor current and photoorientation in chlamydomonas mediated by 9-demethylchlamyrhodopsin

Green flagellates possess rhodopsin-like photoreceptors involved in control of their behavior via generation of photocurrents across the plasma membrane. Chlamydomonas mutants blocked in retinal biosynthesis are "blind," but they can be rescued by the addition of exogenous retinoids. Photosignaling by chlamyrhodopsin regenerated with 9-demethylretinal was investigated by recording photocurrents from single cells and cell suspensions, and by measuring phototactic orientation. The addition of a saturating concentration of this analog led to reconstitution of all receptor molecules. However, sensitivity of the photoreceptor current in cells reconstituted with the analog was smaller compared with retinal-reconstituted cells, indicating a decreased signaling efficiency of the analog receptor protein. Suppression of the photoreceptor current in double-flash experiments was smaller and its recovery faster with 9-demethylretinal than with retinal, as it would be expected from a decreased PC amplitude in the analog-reconstituted cells. Cells reconstituted with either retinal or the analog displayed negative phototaxis at low light and switched to positive one upon an increase in stimulus intensity, as opposed to the wild type. The reversal of the phototaxis direction in analog-reconstituted cells was shifted to a higher fluence rate compared with cells reconstituted with retinal, which corresponded to the decreased signaling efficiency of 9-demethylchlamyrhodopsin.

Photosynthesis modulates the sign of phototaxis of wild-type Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Effects of red background illumination and 3-(3',4'-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea

We have found that the sign of phototaxis, i.e. the direction of phototactic migration either towards or away from the light source, of wild-type Chlamydomonas reinhardtii depends on its photosynthetic activity. This accounts for the frequently reported transient positive phototaxis that precedes a negative phototaxis of wild-type cells, as well as the earlier observations that preillumination affects the sign of phototaxis. The bases for our conclusion are as follows. (1) The transient nature of phototaxis was preferentially observable with blue-green actinic light rather than with green actinic light. (2) Red background light induces negative phototaxis under the actinic-light conditions in which, without background light, Chlamydomonas cells show exclusively positive phototaxis. (3) Both the effect of red background light and the transient change in the sign of phototaxis were inhibited by 3-(3',4'-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, a specific inhibitor of photosynthesis. The conclusion modifies the accepted view that photosynthesis does not link with the phototaxis of this microorganism, thus constituting a necessary part in elucidating mechanisms of algal phototaxis.

The role of calcium in Chlamydomonas photomovement responses as analysed by calcium channel inhibitors

Phototaxis and light-induced stop responses in Chlamydomonas are known to be calcium dependent. We show that phototaxis is stereoselectively inhibited by dihyropyridines, verapamil, diltiazem, omega-conotoxin and pimozide, all inhibitors of slow L-type calcium channels. In contrast, the stop response in Chlamydomonas can be specifically reduced only by omega-conotoxin and pimozide. The light-regulated calcium uptake as detected by 45calcium can be completely suppressed by verapamil and omega-conotoxin but not by diltiazem or any of the dihyropyridine-type calcium channel inhibitors. We conclude that phototaxis and stop response in Chlamydomonas are regulated by three distinguishable drug receptor sites. One of them controls phototaxis and is sensitive to verapamil. The second site controls stop response and phototaxis and shows a high sensitivity to omega-conotoxin and pimozide. These two drug receptors seem to be localized in the plasma membrane and function as ion channels. In addition, calcium influences internal signal transduction from the photoreceptor to the flagella. This internal role of calcium is inhibited by the dihydropyridine binding to a dihydropyridine receptor protein. The arylazide-1,4-dihydropyridine[3H]azidopine binds with a Kd = 35 nM to a 50 kDa protein located in one of the internal cell membranes. Azidopine binding is fully reversible and can be partially inhibited by nimodipine and PN-200110. This protein is the first identified dihyropyridine receptor in an unicellular plant cell. It might serve as an internal calcium regulating channel in Chlamydomonas.