The effect of ionophore A 23187 and ruthenium red on tentacle contraction and ultrastructure inDiscophrya collini: Evidence of calcium fluxing from intracellular reservoirs

Abstract

The suctorian protozoonDiscophrya collini has contractile tentacles with microfilaments and a central microtubule-lined canal (axoneme). The role of calcium fluxing in tentacle contraction has been investigated using the Ca2+ ionophore A 23187 and ruthenium red (RR), a known inhibitor of certain Ca2+ membrane transport events. Treatment with CaCl2 alone caused tentacle contraction with a threshold at 5 × 10−3 M CaCl2 and a maximum at 5 × 10−2 M CaCl2 with contraction to 32.8% of the original length. In the presence of 5 μM ionophore A 23187 the threshold was lowered to 5 × 10−6 M CaCl2 with a maximum to 19.6% original length at 5 × 10−2 M CaCl2. A 23187 alone induced contraction with a threshold of 3.0 μM and a maximum to 30.5% original length at 10 μM A 23187. Treatment with RR alone had little effect on tentacle length. However, a 10 μM A 23187-induced contraction was partially counteracted by the simultaneous application of RR with a threshold at 2 μM RR and a maximum at 8 μM RR. Removal of the ionophore after induced tentacle contraction resulted in partial re-extension, which was inhibited by RR. Ultrastructural observations indicated that the ionophore and CaCl2-induced contraction processes are indistinguishable. The CaCl2/ionophore treatments led to axonome disruption, interpreted as a consequence of supranormal levels of intracellular Ca2+. X-ray microanalysis of cytoplasmic membrane-bound elongate dense bodies (EDB) showed a high level of Ca2+ in CaCl2-treated cells, little Ca2+ in ionophore-treated cells and intermediate levels in the RR-treated, ionophore/RR-treated and untreated control cells. It is suggested that A 23187 enhances both the uptake of extracellular Ca2+ and the release of Ca2+ from the EDB, the latter being counteracted by RR. These observations support the proposal that the EDB act as Ca2+ reservoirs, and that their Ca2+ fluxing moderates cytosolic Ca2+ levels which mediate a Ca2+-dependent tentacle contraction mechanism.