L. Kohidai et G. Csaba, CHEMOTAXIS AND CHEMOTACTIC SELECTION INDUCED WITH CYTOKINES (IL-8, RANTES AND TNF-ALPHA) IN THE UNICELLULAR TETRAHYMENA-PYRIFORMIS, Cytokine (Philadelphia, Pa. Print), 10(7), 1998, pp. 481-486
Three representative cytokines interleukin (IL-8), RANTES and tumour n
ecrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) have a concentration-dependent chemot
actic effect on the unicellular Tetrahymena. Maximal effective concent
rations of IL-8 (1 ng/ml) and RANTES (75 ng/ml) are in the same range
as in mammals, which indicates an evolutionary background of physiolog
ical effects elicited. Progeny generations of cells selected for their
affinity to cytokines (IL-8 and TNF-alpha) show an enhanced positive
chemosensory reaction to the cytokines, The changed reaction of these
cells to the chemoattraction of the culturing medium was also observed
. The results call attention to the presence of cytokine-dependent pro
cesses at a low phylogenetic level. (C) 1998 Academic Press.