Calcium antagonists inhibit the discharge of cnidae in response to electrical stimulation in the giant tropical sea anemone Heteractis crispa Ehrenberger (Anthozoa)

The mechanisms involved in cnidocyst discharge among cnidarians are not well understood. In this study we examined the discharge mechanism in an anthozoan. We examined the effect of the Ca 2+ antagonists (Mg 2+ , Co 2+ and La 3+ ), a Ca 2+ agonist (Sr 2+ ), and two cations (Ca 2+ and K + ) upon cnid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine and freshwater behaviour and physiology 2005-12, Vol.38 (4), p.269-274
Main Authors: Dahl Hermansen, Tyge, Arvedlund, Michael, Fiedler, G. Curt
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthozoa
calcium
Cnidaria
cnidocyst
discharge
electrical stimulation
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Summary:The mechanisms involved in cnidocyst discharge among cnidarians are not well understood. In this study we examined the discharge mechanism in an anthozoan. We examined the effect of the Ca 2+ antagonists (Mg 2+ , Co 2+ and La 3+ ), a Ca 2+ agonist (Sr 2+ ), and two cations (Ca 2+ and K + ) upon cnidocyst discharge, using electrical stimulation applied directly to sea anemone tentacles. In our experiment we used the sea anemone Heteractis crispa (Class: Anthozoa, Family: Stichodactylidae), a known host for anemonefishes, as a model organism. Our results show that the Ca 2+ antagonists effectively inhibit, while all the other cations enhance the cnidocyst discharge of H. crispa. These results are comparable to those from a similar study on the hydrozoan, Hydra vulgaris, which also used the electrostimulation method. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the discharge mechanisms in Anthozoa and Hydrozoa are comparable, and support existing hypotheses concerning the importance of Ca 2+ in cnidocyst discharge.
ISSN:1023-6244
1029-0362
DOI:10.1080/10236240500479768