The main purpose of this book is to unify approaches and ideas in the field of aneural sensory transduction. This field has recently come to the attention of several research groups in various disciplines, and their number seems to be growing. Unfortunately, because of the diverse scientific backgrounds of the researchers in the field, the apparent heterogeneity of experimental techniques (i. e. , behavioral response analysis, sophisticated biochemical and genetic manipulations, conventional and pulsed laser spectroscopy) and theoretical approaches may be discouraging, for both the experienced worker and the new comer. Actually, this heterogeneity is more apparent than real, and unifying concepts, approaches, and ideas already exist, particularly with respect to all the questions concerning the role of membranes and their properties (such as ion permeability, electric potentials, and active transport) in the various steps of sensory perception and transduction processes. It is currently accepted that most, if not all, the fundamental facts in molecular sensory physiology of aneural organisms, be they chemosensory, photosensory, or geosensory, can ultimately be understood in terms of a few basic ideas. Each chapter of this book emphasizes and clarifies the role of mem brane properties and phenomena in the particular sensory response examined. Of course, in some cases, this task has been rather complex because of the limited amount of experimental data clearly supporting a membrane-based model of sensory transduction.
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Dateigröße
ISBN-13
978-1-4613-2675-5 (9781461326755)
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4613-2675-5
Schweitzer Klassifikation
1 Membranes: Structure and Function.- 1. The Dynamic Structure of Cell Membranes.- 2. Kinetic and Thermodynamic Approach to Membrane Transport Properties.- 3. Transport in Excitable Membranes.- 4. Model Photosensitive Membranes.- References.- 2 Biochemistry of Chemosensory Behavior in Prokaryotes and Unicellular Eukaryotes.- 1. Diversity and Unity in Chemotaxis.- 2. Perception of Chemicals.- 3. Signal Transduction.- 4. Behavioral Responses.- 5. Adaptation and Signal Processing.- 6. Models for Chemotaxis.- 7. Conclusion.- References.- 3 Mechanosensory Transduction in Protozoa.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Depolarizing and Hyperpolarizing Membrane Responses to Mechanical Stimulation.- 3. Ionic Mechanisms of the Mechanoreceptor Responses.- 4. Kinetic Analysis of the Mechanoreceptor Currents.- 5. Topographical Distribution of the Mechanoreceptor Channels.- 6. Coupling of the Mechanoreceptor Responses with the Behavioral.- Responses.- References.- 4 Temperature Sensing in Microorganisms.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Cellular Components or Processes Affected by Temperature.- 3. Biological Examples.- 4. Summary.- References.- 5 Microbial Geotaxis.- 1. The Phenomena of Geotaxis.- 2. Arenas of Debate.- 3. Methods of Assessment.- 4 Hypotheses on the Mechanism of Geotaxis.- 5. Discussion.- References.- 6 Photosensory Responses in Freely Motile Microorganisms.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Photomotile Responses.- 3. Photoreceptor Properties.- 4. Signal Transduction.- 5. Information Transmission.- 6. Motor Responses.- 7. Concluding Remarks.- References.- 7 Phototropism.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Sensory Transduction Chain.- 3. Phototropism in Higher Plants.- 4. Phototropism in Lower Plants.- 5. Quest for the Photoreceptor Responsible for Phototropism.- References.- Selected Readings.- 8 Chloroplast Movement.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Perception of the Light Signal.- 3. Mechanics of Movement.- 4. Transduction Processes.- 5. General Conclusions.- References.
