title: Flagellar wave reversal in the kinetoplastid flagellate Crithidia oncopelti.
abstract: 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" behavior. 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of London, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sugrue
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hirons
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Holwill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D003421:Crithidia / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005407:Flagella / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008124:Locomotion; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium