Calcium is Necessary for Motility in the Diatom Amphora coffeaeformis

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Abstract
The marine diatom Amphora coffeaeformis required Ca2+ and bicarbonate for motility. Movement was inhibited by the Ca2+-blocking agents ruthenium red and α-isopropyl-α-[(N-methyl-N-homoveratryl)-α- aminopropyl]-3,4,5-trimethoxy phenyl acetonitrile and the metabolic energy uncoupler, carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone. 3-(3′,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1,1-Dimethyl urea was without effect on cells at a concentration that prevented O2 production in the light. Although Sr2+ could replace Ca2+ in the attachment of cells to glass, it did not substitute for Ca2+ in motility.