High-speed video cinematographic demonstration of stalk and zooid contraction of Vorticella convallaria

Biophysical Journal
Y MoriyamaH Asai

Abstract

Stalk contraction and zooid contraction of living Vorticella convallaria were studied by high-speed video cinematography. Contraction was monitored at a speed of 9000 frames per second to study the contractile process in detail. Complete stalk contraction required approximately 9 ms. The maximal contraction velocity, 8.8 cm/s, was observed 2 ms after the start of contraction. We found that a twist appeared in the zooid during contraction. As this twist unwound, the zooid began to rotate like a right-handed screw. The subsequent stalk contraction steps, the behavior of which was similar to that of a damped harmonic oscillator, were analyzed by means of the equation of motion. From the beginning of stalk contraction, the Hookean force constant increased, and reached an upper limit of 2.23 x 10(-4) N/m 2-3 ms after the start of contraction. Thus, within 2 ms, the contraction signal spread to the entire stalk, allowing the stalk to generate the full force of contraction. The tension of an extended stalk was estimated to be 5.58 x 10(-8) N from the Hookean force constant of a stalk. This value coincides with that of the isometric tension of a glycerol-treated V. convallaria, confirming that the contractile system of V. convallaria i...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Oct 16, 2002·Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton·Mikihiko Arikawa, Toshinobu Suzaki
Apr 28, 2006·Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life·Anthonie W J Muller, Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Dec 1, 2015·Cytoskeleton·Naoki NarematsuYoshiaki Iwadate
Dec 20, 2005·Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton·Mikihiko ArikawaToshinobu Suzaki
Sep 27, 2012·Biophysical Journal·Sangjin RyuPaul Matsudaira
Aug 16, 2005·Cell Calcium·Mikihiko ArikawaToshinobu Suzaki
Jan 29, 2017·FEBS Letters·Danielle FrancePaul Matsudaira
Sep 2, 2017·Physical Biology·Eun Gul Chung, Sangjin Ryu
Nov 19, 2003·Zoological Science·S M Mostafa Kamal KhanToshinobu Suzaki
Sep 9, 2004·The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology·Michael G Bramucci, Vasantha Nagarajan
Jan 26, 2021·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Kirsty Y Wan, Gáspár Jékely
Feb 7, 2001·Science·L Mahadevan, P Matsudaira

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