ArticlePLoS computational biology2017
Use of chiral cell shape to ensure highly directional swimming in trypanosomes.
Article in PLoS computational biology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers.
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39 citing papers in PubMed, 66 citations in OpenAlex.
- An agent-based model of Trypanosoma brucei social motility to explore determinants of colony pattern formation.PLoS computational biology · 2026Article
- Axonemal dynein contributions to flagellar beat types and waveforms.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Proteins with proximal-distal asymmetries in axoneme localisation control flagellum beat frequency.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Evolutionary adaptations of doublet microtubules in trypanosomatid parasites.Science (New York, N.Y.) · 2025Article
- Intraflagellar transport speed is sensitive to genetic and mechanical perturbations to flagellar beating.The Journal of cell biology · 2024Article
- Trajectory-driven computational analysis for element characterization in Trypanosoma cruzi video microscopy.PloS one · 2024Article
- Morphogenesis in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes proceeds via a highly asymmetric cell division.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Article
- Enantioselective Self-Replicators.Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2023Article
- Radial spoke protein 9 is necessary for axoneme assembly in Plasmodium but not in trypanosomatid parasites.Journal of cell science · 2023Article
- ULK4 and Fused/STK36 interact to mediate assembly of a motile flagellum.Molecular biology of the cell · 2023Article
- Article
- Light chain 2 is a Tctex-type related axonemal dynein light chain that regulates directional ciliary motility in Trypanosoma brucei.PLoS pathogens · 2022Article
- Structure, function and druggability of the African trypanosome flagellum.Journal of cellular physiology · 2022Review
- Cyclic AMP signalling and glucose metabolism mediate pH taxis by African trypanosomes.Nature communications · 2022Article
- Control and controllability of microswimmers by a shearing flow.Royal Society open science · 2021Article
- Structure of the trypanosome paraflagellar rod and insights into non-planar motility of eukaryotic cells.Cell discovery · 2021Article
- High-speed, three-dimensional imaging reveals chemotactic behaviour specific to human-infectiveeLife · 2021Article
- Article
- Helical Klinotactic Locomotion of Two-Link Nanoswimmers with Dual-Function Drug-Loaded Soft Polysaccharide Hinges.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2021Article
- Single-cell motile behaviour ofThe European physical journal. E, Soft matter · 2021Article
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1 author at 1 institution in 2 countries.
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Abstract
Swimming cells typically move along a helical path or undergo longitudinal rotation as they swim, arising from chiral asymmetry in hydrodynamic drag or propulsion bending the swimming path into a helix. Helical paths are beneficial for some forms of chemotaxis, but why asymmetric shape is so prevalent when a symmetric shape would also allow highly directional swimming is unclear. Here, I analyse the swimming of the insect life cycle stages of two human parasites; Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania mexicana. This showed quantitatively how chirality in T. brucei cell shape confers highly directional swimming. High speed videomicrographs showed that T. brucei, L. mexicana and a T. brucei RNAi morphology mutant have a range of shape asymmetries, from wild-type T. brucei (highly chiral) to L. mexicana (near-axial symmetry). The chiral cells underwent longitudinal rotation while swimming, with more rapid longitudinal rotation correlating with swimming path directionality. Simulation indicated hydrodynamic drag on the chiral cell shape caused rotation, and the predicted geometry of the resulting swimming path matched the directionality of the observed swimming paths. This simulation of swimming path geometry showed that highly chiral cell shape is a robust mechanism through which microscale swimmers can achieve highly directional swimming at low Reynolds number. It is insensitive to random variation in shape or propulsion (biological noise). Highly symmetric cell shape can give highly directional swimming but is at risk of giving futile circular swimming paths in the presence of biological noise. This suggests the chiral T. brucei cell shape (associated with the lateral attachment of the flagellum) may be an adaptation associated with the bloodstream-inhabiting lifestyle of this parasite for robust highly directional swimming. It also provides a plausible general explanation for why swimming cells tend to have strong asymmetries in cell shape or propulsion.
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