title: Intra- and intercellular communication systems in ciliates.
abstract: Intracellular signaling and cell-cell interactions are basic features of living organisms. Ciliated protozoa show complex mechanisms of intracellular signaling, as is demonstrated for the phagosomal pathway. Although unicellular, ciliates also communicate with other cells, for example, with invading or symbiotic micro-organisms, some of which are dwelling in the nuclei. In predator-prey interactions chemical signals (kairomones) released by certain predators induce defensive morphological or behavioral changes in the prey ciliates. In intercellular communication sensu strictu ciliate cells communicate with each other, for example, in sexual propagation. A variety of sexual signals have been found to function in preconjugant interaction. Many phenomena of cellular communication in ciliates appear to be similar to those found in multicellular organisms.
authors.affiliation: Biologisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany. goertz@po.uni-stuttgart.de
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Görtz
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kuhlmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Möllenbeck
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiedtke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kusch
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyake
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins