title: Flagella-generated forces reveal gear-type motor in single cells of the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
abstract: Optically trapped single cells of the biflagellated, green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, rotate. The rotational dynamics of trapped wild-type and mutant cells show that functional flagella play a decisive role: the entire flagellar apparatus (central microtubules, radial spokes, and dynein arms) is involved. Any aberration in this apparatus leads to non-functionality, indicating a gear-type mechanism. The translational and rotational motions of the wild-type and mutant cells do not differ significantly. Optical forces alone do not play a vital role in the rotational dynamics of this cellular motor, making them useful as probes of the internal dynamics without external influence.
authors.affiliation: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Department of Biological Sciences, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Jacinta S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: Mohanram
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gudipati
authors.forename: Jayashree A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dharmadhikari
authors.forename: Aditya K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dharmadhikari
authors.forename: Abhishek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kashyap
authors.forename: Manaswini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sivaramakrishnan
authors.forename: Manaswini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aiyer
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mathur
authors.forename: Basuthkar J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009154:Mutation; D012399:Rotation