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Journal of Cell Science, Vol 99, 307-316, Copyright © 1991 by Company of Biologists

Submitted on October 5, 1990
Revised on February 15, 1991
Accepted on February 15, 1991

Chemoreceptor-mediated elongation of stereocilium bundles tunes vibration-sensitive mechanoreceptors on cnidocyte-supporting cell complexes to lower frequencies

GLEN M. WATSON 1 and DAVID A. HESSINGER 2

1 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California 92354, USA; Department of Biology, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana 70604-2451, USA
2 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California 92354, USA

Cnidocyte-supporting cell complexes (CSCCs) discharge nematocysts into targets upon coincidental stimulation of specific chemoreceptors and contactsensitive mechanoreceptors. In addition, CSCCs in the tentacles of at least one species of sea anemone discharge nematocysts into targets vibrating at specific frequencies. In seawater alone, these CSCCs discharge nematocysts preferentially at 55, 50 and 75 Hz. In the presence of 10-7M N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) or mucin, the CSCCs discharge nematocysts preferentially at the lower frequencies of 0, 5, 15, 30 and 40 Hz. Furthermore, the stereocilium bundles (SBs) within ciliary cones of CSCCs elongate significantly from a mean length of 6.08 µm in seawater to 7.14 µm in 10-7M mucin. The responses of (1) shifting the optimal frequencies for discharging nematocysts to lower frequencies and (2) elongating the SBs both exhibit dose-dependency and temporal adaptation to chemosensitizer. We conclude that these responses are controlled by CSCC chemoreceptors for JV-acetylated sugars. We suggest that specific size-classes of SBs respond to specific frequencies of vibration, since the dose-response parameters to NANA depicting the relative abundances of SB size classes measuring 3-4, 5 and 7 µm correlate with dose-response parameters for the discharge of nematocysts into targets vibrating at 75, 55, and 30 Hz. Treating tentacles with cytochalasin disorganizes the SBs of ciliary cones and decreases the number of frequency optima for nematocyst discharge without significantly affecting nematocyst discharge into static targets. Thus, ciliary cones on CSCCs are vibration-sensitive mechanoreceptors that can be tuned by chemoreceptors to specific, lower frequencies by the elongation of SBs.

Submitted on October 5, 1990
Revised on February 15, 1991
Accepted on February 15, 1991




This article has been cited by other articles:


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V. H. Ozacmak, G. U. Thorington, W. H. Fletcher, and D. A. Hessinger
N-Acetylneuraminic Acid (NANA) Stimulates in situ cyclic AMP Production in Tentacles of Sea Anemone (Aiptasia pallida): Possible Role in Chemosensitization of Nematocyst Discharge
J. Exp. Biol., January 6, 2001; 204(11): 2011 - 2020.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1991