Mechanosensitivity in the model sea anemone <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nematostella vectensis</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Glen M Watson Patricia Mire Katherine M Kinler |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-2451, USA |
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Abstract: | Tentacles of the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, are covered with hair bundles. Hair bundles were deflected by water jets to test whether they are mechanoreceptors. Electrophysiological
recordings confirm that deflections of hair bundles induce transients in membrane current. In a different species of anemone,
hair bundle mechanoreceptors are known to change shape and responsiveness according to the activity of chemoreceptors that
bind prey-derived compounds including N-acetylated sugars. In Nematostella, hair bundles significantly elongate upon exposure to NANA, an N-acetylated sugar. Based on a bioassay in which discharged nematocysts are counted in gelatin-coated test probes touched to
tentacles, we find that NANA shifts vibration dependent discharge of basitrich nematocysts to lower frequencies overlapping
those produced during swimming by known prey including planktonic crustaceans. Furthermore, we find for the first time that
vibration detection extends at least 2.5 cm beyond the tentacle tips. Thus, Nematostella likely employs its hair bundles to detect swimming movements of nearby prey. |
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