PHOTORECEPTOR PIGMENT IN Blepharisma: H+ RELEASE FROM RED PIGMENT

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Abstract
—: In faded cells of Blepharisma kept in a standard saline solution containing bacteria which had been cultured on agar plates containing glucose and polypepton, threshold light intensity for step‐up photophobic response elevated. This result suggests that red pigment (blepharismin) contained in Blepharisma cells is involved in the step‐up photophobic response. The pH of the aqueous solution of the red pigment was found to decrease when light was applied, indicating that the pigment releases H+ in response to light stimulation. However, faded pigment preparation by light irradiation did not show pH decrease. In the living cells faded by light irradiation, threshold light intensity for the step‐up photophobic response was raised. Results suggest that H+ release from the red pigment induced by light irradiation might be responsible for the step‐up photophobic response of the cells.

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