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Abstract:
The locomotion of microorganisms in a microscopic world, where cells move
through a fluid environment without using inertial forces, is a fascinating
phenomenon in life science. Nature offers clever and inspiring strategies for selfpropelling
in an environment of no inertia. The flagellate African trypanosome,
which causes African sleeping sickness, moves with help of a flagellum, which is
firmly attached to its cell body. The beating flagellum leads to a strong distortion
of the cell body and therefore to a swimming agitation of trypanosomes. We have
found that trypanosomes use a hydrodynamic mechanism to defend against host’s
immune attacks. Owing to continuous and directional swimming, host-derived
antibodies attached to surface glycoproteins of the cell are dragged to the posterior
cell pole, where they are rapidly internalized and destroyed. In the following we
present new methodology and techniques to quantify the movements of proteins
and the motility of cells. Moreover trypanosome motility schemes and their
influence on cellular lifestyle and survival strategies are characterized.
