Meeting Abstract
P2.79 Saturday, Jan. 5 Neurotransmitter-Induced Multicellularity?: The Effects of a Biogenic Amine (Serotonin) on Colony Formation and Gene Transcription in Salpingoeca rosetta WAIN, A.R.*; MOORE, F.B.G.; The University of Akron; The University of Akron awain@zips.uakron.edu
Past studies have demonstrated the ability of a chemical compound isolated from the bacterial species Algoriphagus machipongonensis to induce the formation of tightly packed rosette colonies in the choanoflagellate species Salpingoeca rosetta. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), which acts as a neurotransmitter in higher metazoans, has been shown to increase the frequency of colony formation in cultures containing A. machipongonensis (col+ cultures). In this study, the effects of serotonin addition on both col+ and col- (lacking A. machipongonensis) cultures of S. rosetta were investigated in order to remove the potentially confounding effects of the bacterial compound on the effect of serotonin. Serotonin was found to increase the frequency of colonies as well as cell density when added to either col+ or col- cultures of Salpingoeca rosetta at 5×10-6 and 5×10-5 M concentrations. In col- cultures, serotonin addition was also associated with increased average colony size. Transcription levels of several genes (PRCDH1, S. rosetta Cadherin, and Sphingosine 1 Phosphate Lyase 1) were shown to vary depending on culture type (col+ or col-) and, in some cases, the presence of serotonin.
