Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Department of
Date of this Version
9-2012
Citation
Biophysical Journal Volume 103 September 2012, pp. 860–867.
Abstract
The millisecond stalk contraction of the sessile ciliate Vorticella convallaria is powered by energy from Ca2+ binding to generate contractile forces of ~10 nN. Its contractile organelle, the spasmoneme, generates higher contractile force under increased stall resistances. By applying viscous drag force to contracting V. convallaria in a microfluidic channel, we observed that the mechanical force and work of the spasmoneme depended on the stalk length, i.e., the maximum tension (150–350 nN) and work linearly depended on the stalk length (~2.5 nN and ~30 fJ per 1 mm of the stalk). This stalk-length dependency suggests that motor units of the spasmoneme may be organized in such a way that the mechanical force and work of each unit cumulate in series along the spasmoneme.
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Mechanics of Materials Commons, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons, Other Engineering Science and Materials Commons, Other Mechanical Engineering Commons
Comments
Copyright 2012 by the Biophysical Society.