KINETIC ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE ON BIOLUMINESCENCE OF GONYAULAX POLYEDRA

Abstract

Abstract— Hydrostatic pressure was used as a probe to examine control mechanisms of bioluminescence in Gonyaulax polyedra. The initial effect of a pressure increase step is both to increase the intensity of the continuous light emission (glow) of the entire cell population and to increase the frequency of discrete flashes arising from single cells. Following the pressure application, however, the glow does not merely attain a new level but rather goes through various transient changes, whereby the kinetics of these changes are faster with a given higher pressure. A qualitative fit to several aspects of the pressure induced glow kinetics was generated by a simple reaction rate theory model. The effect of pressure upon the circadian rhythm control of bioluminescence was also investigated with the result being that no significant influence was observed under the experimental conditions.