Requirement of the fixed end for spontaneous beating in flagella.
It is well known that any part of a flagellum has the ability to bend. However, it is not clearly understood how flagella generate successive bending waves spontaneously. Some micromanipulation experiments have suggested that the base of the flagellum is required. By contrast, spontaneous bending waves could be generated in computer simulation work if the microtubules were tied together at one end. We hypothesized that the basal structure of flagella can only act as a tied end when the outer doublet microtubules are tightly bound together so as not to slide. We developed a new technique for introducing local inhibition at any position on the demembranated and reactivated flagellum. The flagellum maintained spontaneous beating when the local inhibition was introduced at any position on it. In addition, spontaneous beating occurred without the basal body when an artificial fixed region was introduced to the flagellum. We conclude that the axoneme, a bundle of microtubules, requires the fixed end for spontaneous beating.
Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
Miki
M
Fujimura
Makoto
M
Okuno
D015081:2-Naphthylamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000166:cytology*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D013082:Sperm Tail / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014357:Trypsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C038517:prodan; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D015081:2-Naphthylamine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D014357:Trypsin