%0 Journal Article
%T Evaluation of Intracellular Ca2+ Concentration by Fura 2 Ratiometry in Encystment-induced Colpoda cucullus
%A Matsuoka, Tatsuomi
%J Acta Protozoologica
%V 2013
%R 10.4467/16890027AP.13.005.0833
%N Volume 52, Issue 1
%P 51-54
%K Colpoda, Ca2+, encystment induction, fura 2.
%@ 0065-1583
%D 2013
%U https://ejournals.eu/en/journal/acta-protozoologica/article/evaluation-of-intracellular-ca2-concentration-by-fura-2-ratiometry-in-encystment-induced-colpoda-cucullus
%X n Colpoda cucullus, the signaling pathways for encystment induction involving protein phosphorylation have been believed to be triggered by an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration promoted by cell-to-cell mechanical contact due to overpopulation. By means of fura 2 ratiometry, the present study showed that the intracellular Ca2+ concentration was actually elevated when vegetative cells were induced to encyst by being suspended at a high cell density in the presence of external free Ca2+ and suppressed by chelating external Ca2+. This result strongly suggests that an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration caused by an inflow of Ca2+ promoted by cell-tocell mechanical contact due to overpopulation enhances the rate of encystation in Colpoda cucullus.