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Flagellar wave reversal in the kinetoplastid flagellate Crithidia oncopelti
Author(s) -
Surgue Phillip,
Hirons Michael R.,
Adam Juliet U.,
Holwill Michael E.J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
biology of the cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.543
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1768-322X
pISSN - 0248-4900
DOI - 10.1016/0248-4900(88)90051-2
Subject(s) - flagellate , flagellum , biology , crithidia , population , axoneme , dispersion (optics) , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , physics , genetics , protozoa , optics , bacteria , botany , demography , sociology
Summary— Living Crithidia oncopelti cells swim through their environment by means of tip‐to‐base waves on their single flagellum. The cells are able to re‐orient themselves by using a short burst of asymmetrical base‐to‐tip waves. All points on a flagellum are capable of initiating waves. Placing a population of cells in a medium of high viscosity initially produces a large number of organisms beating in the reverse mode. An individual cell has a random “switching” behaviour. Viscosity affects the frequency of forward and reverse waves in different ways. The concentration of free Ca ++ ions determines the direction of wave propagation in reactivated axonemes. Calmodulin may play a role in mediating the Ca ++ dependence of wave direction.