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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 7596

Jean-Claude Esteve; [Perturbation du Comportement Alimentaire par Atteinte du Revetement Cellulaire chez le Cilie Dileptus]. Protistologica XVII(4):479-488, 1981

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Treatment by some proteases like pronase or trypsin, or with a lectin (concanavalin A), disturbed the feeding behaviour of the predatory ciliate Dileptus. The two varieties used in the experiments, D. anser and D. sp, behaved in the same manner after a proteolytic treatment but not after con A; only D. anser had his predation impeded. Morphology, mobility of the ciliates were affected and adhesivity could occur. Incidentally, in D. anser, a phenomenon of prime importance for the capture of prey occured after the lectin treatment: almost all the trichocysts were lost by discharge. All these effects were related to membrane modifications, specially membrane ionic permeability (particularly to Ca++), that could involve molecular receptors located in the glycocalyx.