Cyclical interactions between two outer doublet microtubules in split flagellar axonemes.
The beating of cilia and flagella is based on the localized sliding between adjacent outer doublet microtubules; however, the mechanism that produces oscillatory bending is unclear. To elucidate this mechanism, we examined the behavior of frayed axonemes of Chlamydomonas by using high-speed video recording. A pair of doublet microtubules frequently displayed association and dissociation cycles in the presence of ATP. In many instances, the dissociation of two microtubules was not accompanied by noticeable bending, suggesting that the dynein-microtubule interaction is not necessarily regulated by the microtubule curvature. On rare occasions, association and dissociation occurred simultaneously in the same interacting pair, resulting in a tip-directed movement of a stretch of gap between the pair. Based on these observations, we propose a model for cyclical bend propagation in the axoneme.
Aoyama
Susumu
S
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Kamiya
Ritsu
R
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D002465:Cell Movement; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D004398:Dyneins / Q000737:chemistry; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D009991:Oscillometry; D013997:Time Factors
D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004398:Dyneins