https://www.selleckchem.com/pr....oducts/prt062607-p50
Euglenoids present the ability to alter the shape of their bodies, a process referred to as metaboly. Metaboly is usually used by phagotrophic cells to engulf their prey. However, Euglena gracilis is osmotrophic and photosynthetic. Though metaboly was discovered centuries ago, it remains unclear why E. gracilis undergo metaboly and what causes them to deform, and some consider metaboly to be a functionless ancestral vestige. Here, we discover that flagellum malfunctions trigger metaboly and metaboly is a smart escape strat