title: Biomechanical profiling of Caenorhabditis elegans motility.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans locomotion is a stereotyped behavior that is ideal for genetic analysis. We integrated video microscopy, image analysis algorithms, and fluid mechanics principles to describe the C. elegans swim gait. Quantification of body shapes and external hydrodynamics and model-based estimates of biomechanics reveal that mutants affecting similar biological processes exhibit related patterns of biomechanical differences. Therefore, biomechanical profiling could be useful for predicting the function of previously unstudied motility genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. parratia@seas.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Predrag
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krajacic
authors.forename: Xiaoning
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Prashant K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Purohit
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arratia
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lamitina
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait / Q000235:genetics; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008124:Locomotion / Q000235:genetics; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D012984:Software; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology; D013696:Temperature