Fibrous Flagellar Hairs of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Do Not Enhance Swimming.

ABSTRACT: The flagella of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii possess fibrous ultrastructures of a nanometer-scale thickness known as mastigonemes. These structures have been widely hypothesized to enhance flagellar thrust; however, detailed hydrodynamic analysis supporting this claim is lacking. In this study, we present a comprehensive investigation into the hydrodynamic effects of mastigonemes using a genetically modified mutant lacking the fibrous structures. Through high-speed observations of freely swimming cells, we found the average and maximum swimming speeds to be unaffected by the presence of mastigonemes. In addition to swimming speeds, no significant difference was found for flagellar gait kinematics. After our observations of swimming kinematics, we present direct measurements of the hydrodynami

SUBMITTER: Amador GJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7300311 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature