Searching for a Mate: Pheromone-Directed Movement of the Benthic Diatom Seminavis robusta.
Diatoms are species-rich microalgae that often have a unique life cycle with vegetative cell size reduction followed by size restoration through sexual reproduction of two mating types (MT(+) and MT(-)). In the marine benthic diatom Seminavis robusta, mate-finding is mediated by an L-proline-derived diketopiperazine, a pheromone produced by the attracting mating type (MT(-)). Here, we investigate the movement patterns of cells of the opposite mating type (MT(+)) exposed to a pheromone gradient, using video monitoring and statistical modeling. We report that cells of the migrating mating type (MT(+)) respond to pheromone gradients by simultaneous chemotaxis and chemokinesis. Changes in movement behavior enable MT(+) cells to locate the direction of the pheromone source and to maximize their encounter rate towards it.
Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany.|Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany.
Karen Grace V
KG
Bondoc
Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
Christine
C
Lembke
Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, University Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Wim
W
Vyverman
Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Lessingstrasse 8, D-07743, Jena, Germany. Georg.Pohnert@uni-jena.de.|Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany. Georg.Pohnert@uni-jena.de.
Georg
G
Pohnert
D002633:Chemotaxis; D017377:Diatoms / Q000502:physiology*; D054659:Diketopiperazines / Q000737:chemistry; D008954:Models, Biological; D010675:Pheromones / Q000737:chemistry*; D012098:Reproduction
D054659:Diketopiperazines; D010675:Pheromones
Chemoattraction; Chemokinesis; Chemotaxis; Diatoms; Mating success; Modeling; Pheromone