Biomaterial Database

Axonemal motility in Chlamydomonas. 2015

Ken-ichi Wakabayashi, and Ritsu Kamiya

Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan.

Motile cilia and flagella rapidly propagate bending waves and produce water flow over the cell surface. Their function is important for the physiology and development of various organisms including humans. The movement is based on the sliding between outer doublet microtubules driven by axonemal dyneins, and is regulated by various axonemal components and environmental factors. For studies aiming to elucidate the mechanism of cilia/flagella movement and regulation, Chlamydomonas is an invaluable model organism that offers a variety of mutants. This chapter introduces standard methods for studying Chlamydomonas flagellar motility including analysis of swimming paths, measurements of swimming speed and beat frequency, motility reactivation in demembranated cells (cell models), and observation of microtubule sliding in disintegrating axonemes. Most methods may be easily applied to other organisms with slight modifications of the medium conditions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008124	Locomotion	Movement or the ability to move from one place or another. It can refer to humans, vertebrate or invertebrate animals, and microorganisms.	Locomotor Activity,Activities, Locomotor,Activity, Locomotor,Locomotor Activities
D008870	Microtubules	Slender, cylindrical filaments found in the cytoskeleton of plant and animal cells. They are composed of the protein TUBULIN and are influenced by TUBULIN MODULATORS.	Microtubule
D002465	Cell Movement	The movement of cells from one location to another. Distinguish from CYTOKINESIS which is the process of dividing the CYTOPLASM of a cell.	Cell Migration,Locomotion, Cell,Migration, Cell,Motility, Cell,Movement, Cell,Cell Locomotion,Cell Motility,Cell Movements,Movements, Cell
D002923	Cilia	Populations of thin, motile processes found covering the surface of ciliates (CILIOPHORA) or the free surface of the cells making up ciliated EPITHELIUM. Each cilium arises from a basic granule in the superficial layer of CYTOPLASM. The movement of cilia propels ciliates through the liquid in which they live. The movement of cilia on a ciliated epithelium serves to propel a surface layer of mucus or fluid. (King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Motile Cilia,Motile Cilium,Nodal Cilia,Nodal Cilium,Primary Cilia,Primary Cilium,Cilium,Cilia, Motile,Cilia, Nodal,Cilia, Primary,Cilium, Motile,Cilium, Nodal,Cilium, Primary
D004398	Dyneins	A family of multi-subunit cytoskeletal motor proteins that use the energy of ATP hydrolysis, generated by a ring of AAA ATPASES in the dynein heavy chain, to power a variety of cellular functions. Dyneins fall into two major classes based upon structural and functional criteria.	ATPase, Dynein,Adenosinetriphosphatase, Dynein,Dynein,Dynein ATPase,Dynein Adenosinetriphosphatase,Dynein Heavy Chain,Dynein Intermediate Chain,Dynein Light Chain,Dynein Light Intermediate Chain,Adenosine Triphosphatase, Dynein,Dynein Heavy Chains,Dynein Intermediate Chains,Dynein Light Chains,Dynein Light Intermediate Chains,Chain, Dynein Heavy,Chain, Dynein Intermediate,Chain, Dynein Light,Chains, Dynein Heavy,Chains, Dynein Intermediate,Chains, Dynein Light,Dynein Adenosine Triphosphatase,Heavy Chain, Dynein,Heavy Chains, Dynein,Intermediate Chain, Dynein,Intermediate Chains, Dynein,Light Chain, Dynein,Light Chains, Dynein
D005407	Flagella	A whiplike motility appendage present on the surface cells. Prokaryote flagella are composed of a protein called FLAGELLIN. Bacteria can have a single flagellum, a tuft at one pole, or multiple flagella covering the entire surface. In eukaryotes, flagella are threadlike protoplasmic extensions used to propel flagellates and sperm. Flagella have the same basic structure as CILIA but are longer in proportion to the cell bearing them and present in much smaller numbers. (From King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Flagellum
D016825	Chlamydomonas reinhardtii	A species of GREEN ALGAE. Delicate, hairlike appendages arise from the flagellar surface in these organisms.	Chlamydomonas reinhardii,Chlamydomonas reinhardius,Chlamydomonas reinhardtius,reinhardius, Chlamydomonas,reinhardtii, Chlamydomonas
D056444	Axonemal Dyneins	Dyneins that are responsible for ciliary and flagellar beating.	Axonemal Dynein,Dynein, Axonemal,Dyneins, Axonemal
D057446	Hydrodynamics	The motion of fluids, especially noncompressible liquids, under the influence of internal and external forces.	Fluid Dynamics,Dynamic, Fluid,Dynamics, Fluid,Fluid Dynamic,Hydrodynamic