Motile chemosensory behaviour of phagotrophic protists: Mechanisms for andefficiency in congregating at food patches

Citation
T. Fenchel et N. Blackburn, Motile chemosensory behaviour of phagotrophic protists: Mechanisms for andefficiency in congregating at food patches, PROTIST, 150(3), 1999, pp. 325-336
Citations number
33
Categorie Soggetti
Biology
Journal title
PROTIST
ISSN journal
14344610 → ACNP
Volume
150
Issue
3
Year of publication
1999
Pages
325 - 336
Database
ISI
SICI code
1434-4610(199910)150:3<325:MCBOPP>2.0.ZU;2-W
Abstract
Phagotrophic protists are capable of congregating at point sources of food within a few minutes, from distances of up to several cm in the case of cil iates, or several mm in the case of microflagellates. This is exemplified b y four ciliate species and a heterotrophic flagellate. Congregation is acco mplished by the combined effect of more than one type of chemosensory motil e behaviour including "kinetic responses", "temporal-gradient sensing", and "helical klinotaxis". The results are discussed in terms of microscale pat chiness in nature.