Sensory Transduction

Zusammenfassung

Investigation of the photoregulation of movement in algae involves the transformation of light absorbed by photoreceptor molecules into a signal that governs the activity of the motor apparatus. Collectively, the molecular pathway linking photoreception with the activity of the motor apparatus is called sensory transduction. Familiarity with the methods used to study sensory transduction helps in understanding the mechanisms involved. These include: 1) analysis of the effects of calcium ions on photomovement and the application of chemicals that change membrane permeability to calcium ions (blockers of calcium channels, ionophores); 2) application of chemicals that impede specific steps in photomovement (e.g., ouabain which inhibits a Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase and ions that involve recording electrical phenomena at the cell level or through altering the cell with external electric fields). The following sections critique the principal methodical and experimental approaches used to study sensory transduction in algae.