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Impact of Microscopic Motility on the Swimming Behavior of Parasites: Straighter Trypanosomes are More Directional

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-140814
  • Microorganisms, particularly parasites, have developed sophisticated swimming mechanisms to cope with a varied range of environments. African Trypanosomes, causative agents of fatal illness in humans and animals, use an insect vector (the Tsetse fly) to infect mammals, involving many developmental changes in which cell motility is of prime importance. Our studies reveal that differences in cell body shape are correlated with a diverse range of cell behaviors contributing to the directional motion of the cell. Straighter cells swim moreMicroorganisms, particularly parasites, have developed sophisticated swimming mechanisms to cope with a varied range of environments. African Trypanosomes, causative agents of fatal illness in humans and animals, use an insect vector (the Tsetse fly) to infect mammals, involving many developmental changes in which cell motility is of prime importance. Our studies reveal that differences in cell body shape are correlated with a diverse range of cell behaviors contributing to the directional motion of the cell. Straighter cells swim more directionally while cells that exhibit little net displacement appear to be more bent. Initiation of cell division, beginning with the emergence of a second flagellum at the base, correlates to directional persistence. Cell trajectory and rapid body fluctuation correlation analysis uncovers two characteristic relaxation times: a short relaxation time due to strong body distortions in the range of 20 to 80 ms and a longer time associated with the persistence in average swimming direction in the order of 15 seconds. Different motility modes, possibly resulting from varying body stiffness, could be of consequence for host invasion during distinct infective stages.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Sravanti Uppaluri, Jan Nagler, Eric Stellamanns, Niko Heddergott, Stephan Herminghaus, Thomas Pfohl, Markus Engstler
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-140814
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Biologie / Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften
Language:English
Parent Title (English):PLoS Computational Biology
Year of Completion:2011
Volume:7
Issue:6
Pagenumber:e1002058
Source:PLoS Comput Biol 7(6): e1002058. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002058
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002058
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Tag:African Trypanosomes; Biology; Brucei; Cell Motility; Chemotaxis; Components; Flagellum; Motion; Movement; Random-Walk
Release Date:2018/11/09
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung