Biocommunication of Ciliates

About this book

This is the first coherent description of all levels of communication of ciliates. Ciliates are highly sensitive organisms that actively compete for environmental resources. They assess their surroundings, estimate how much energy they need for particular goals, and then realise the optimum variant. They take measures to control certain environmental resources. They perceive themselves and can distinguish between 'self' and 'non-self'. They process and evaluate information and then modify their behaviour accordingly.

These highly diverse competences show us that this is possible owing to sign(aling)-mediated communication processes within ciliates (intra-organismic), between the same, related and different ciliate species (inter-organismic), and between ciliates and non-ciliate organisms (trans-organismic). This is crucial in coordinating growth and development, shape and dynamics.

Biocommunication of Ciliates further serves as a learning tool for research aspects in biocommunication in ciliates. It will guide scientists in further investigations on ciliate behavior, how they mediate signaling processes between themselves and the environment.

Contents

1. Introduction: Why biocommunication of Ciliates? Guenther Witzany
2. Principles of intracellular signaling in ciliated protozoa - a brief outline, Helmut Plattner
3. RNA-guided genome editing, Sarah Allen and Mariusz Nowacki
4. Intracytoplasmic signaling from cilia in ciliates, Peter Satir and Birgit H. Satir
5. Chemotaxis as an expression of communication of Tetrahymena, Laszlo Kohidai
6. Signals regulating vesicle trafficking in Paramecium cells, Helmut Plattner
7. How do cysts know when to hatch? The role of ecological communication in awakening latent life John R. Bracht, Emily M. Ferraro and Kathryn A. Bracht
8. Hormonal communication of Tetrahymena, Georgy Csaba
9. Signaling through GPI-anchored Proteins in Ciliates. Yelena Bisharyan and Theodore Clark
10. Ciliate communication via water-borne pheromones, Pierangelo Luporini
11. Communication in Tetrahymena Reproduction, Wendy Ashlock, Takahiko Akematsu and Ronald Pearlman
12. Cell-cell interactions leading to establishment of a mating junction in Tetrahymena and Paramecium, two "contact-mediated" mating systems. Eric S. Cole
13. Mating systems and reproductive strategies in Tetrahymena. Rebecca A. Zufall
14. Social information in cooperation and dispersal in Tetrahymena. Staffan Jacob, Jean Clobert, Delphine Legrand, Nicolas Schtickzelle, and Alexis S Chaine
15. Symbiotic associations in ciliates: ecological and evolutionary perspectives. Arno Germond and Toshiyuki Nakajima
16. Paramecium as a model organism for studies on primary and secondary endosymbioses. Yuuki Kodama and Masahiro Fujishima
17. An integrated model of the biology of the marine symbiosis Maristentor dinoferus. Christopher S. Lobban
18. Interactions between parasitic ciliates and their hosts: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and Cryptocaryon irritans as examples. Kassandra E. Zaila, Deanna Cho and Wei-Jen Chang
19. Ciliates in planktonic food webs: communication and adaptive response. Thomas Weisse and Bettina Sonntag

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