Transient flagellar waveforms during intermittent swimming in sea urchin sperm. II. Analysis of tubule sliding

Mechanical induction of oscillatory movement in demembranated, immotile flagella of sea urchin sperm at very low ATP concentrations

Oscillation is a characteristic feature of eukaryotic flagellar movement. The mechanism involves the control of dynein-driven microtubule sliding under self-regulatory mechanical feedback within the axoneme. To define the essential factors determining the induction of oscillation, we developed a novel experiment by applying mechanical deformation of demembranated, immotile sea urchin sperm flagella at very low ATP concentrations, below the threshold of ATP required for spontaneous beating. Upon application of mechanical deformation at above 1.5 µmol l-1 ATP, a pair of bends could be induced and was accompanied by bend growth and propagation, followed by switching the bending direction. For an oscillatory, cyclical bending response to occur, the velocity of bend propagation towards the flagellar tip must be kept above certain levels. Continuous formation of new bends at the flagellar base was coupled with synchronized decay of the preceding paired bends. Induction of cyclical bends was initiated in a constant direction relative to the axis of the flagellar 9+2 structure, and resulted in the so-called principal bend. In addition, stoppage of the bending response occasionally occurred during development of a new principal bend, and in this situation, formation of a new reverse bend did not occur. This observation indicates that the reverse bend is always active, opposing the principal bend. The results show that mechanical strain of bending is a central component regulating the bend oscillation, and switching of the bend direction appears to be controlled, in part, by the velocity of wave propagation.

Effects of external strain on the regulation of microtubule sliding induced by outer arm dynein of sea urchin sperm flagella

Oscillatory bending movement of eukaryotic flagella is powered by orchestrated activity of dynein motor proteins that hydrolyze ATP and produce microtubule sliding. Although the ATP concentration within a flagellum is kept uniform at a few mmol l−1 level, sliding activities of dyneins are dynamically coordinated along the flagellum in accordance with the phase of bending waves. Thus, at the organellar level the dynein not only generates force for bending but also modulates its motile activity by responding to bending of the flagellum. Single molecule analyses have suggested that dynein at the molecular level, even if isolated from the axoneme, could alter the modes of motility in response to mechanical strain. However, it still remains unknown whether the coordinated activities of multiple dyneins can be modulated directly by mechanical signals. Here, we studied the effects of externally applied strain on the sliding movement of microtubules interacted with ensemble of dynein molecules adsorbed on a glass surface. We found that by bending the microtubules with a glass microneedle, three modes of motility that have not been previously characterized without bending can be induced: those were, stoppage, backward sliding and dissociation. Modification in sliding velocities was also induced by imposed bending. These results suggest that the activities of dyneins interacted with a microtubule can be modified and coordinated through external strain in a quite flexible manner and that such regulatory mechanism may be the basis of flagellar oscillation.

cAMP controls the balance of the propulsive forces generated by the two flagella of Chlamydomonas

The motility of cilia and flagella of eukaryotic cells is controlled by second messengers such as Ca(2+), cAMP, and cGMP. In this study, the cAMP-dependent control of flagellar bending of Chlamydomonas is investigated by applying cAMP through photolysis of 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl adenosine 3',5'-cyclicmonophosphate (caged cAMP). When cAMP is applied to demembranated and reactivated cells, cells begin to swim with a larger helical path. This change is due to a larger turn about the axis normal to the anterior-posterior axis, indicating an increased imbalance in the propulsive forces generated by the cis-flagellum (flagellum nearer to the eyespot) and trans-flagellum (flagellum farther from the eyespot). Consistently, when cAMP is applied to isolated axonemes, some axonemes show attenuated motility whereas others do not. Axonemes from uni1 mutants, which have only trans-flagella, do not respond to cAMP. These observations indicate that cAMP controls the balance of the forces generated by cis- and trans-flagella in Chlamydomonas.

Measuring the regulation of dynein activity during flagellar motility

Flagellar and ciliary motility are driven by the activity of dynein, which produces microtubule sliding within the axonemes. Our goal is to understand how dynein motile activity is regulated to produce the characteristic oscillatory movement of flagella. Analysis of various parameters, such as frequency and shear angle in beating flagella, is important for understanding the time-dependent changes of microtubule sliding amounts along the flagellum. Demembranated flagella can be reactivated in a wide range of ATP concentrations (from 2 μM to several mM) and the beat frequency increases with an increase in ATP. By imposed vibration of a micropipette that caught a sperm head by suction, however, the oscillatory motion can be modulated so as to synchronize to the vibration frequency over a range of 20-70Hz at 2mM ATP. The time-averaged sliding velocity calculated as a product of shear angle and vibration frequency decreases when the imposed frequency is below the undriven flagellar beat frequency, but at higher imposed frequencies, it remains constant. In addition to the role of ATP, the mechanical force of bending is involved in the activation of dynein. In elastase-treated axonemes, bending-dependent regulation of microtubule sliding is achieved. This chapter provides an overview of several approaches, using sea urchin sperm flagella, to studying the measurements in the regulation of dynein activity with or without mechanical force.

A novel motility pattern in quail spermatozoa with implications for the mechanism of flagellar beating

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The spermatozoon of the quail (Coturnix coturnix L., var japonica) has a '9+2' flagellum that is unusually long. When it moves in a viscous medium, near to the coverslip, it develops a meander waveform. Because of the high viscosity, the meander bends are static in relation to the field of view; bend propagation is therefore manifest as the forward movement of the flagellum through the meander shape. At the same time, the origin of the oscillation typically shifts proximally in a stepwise fashion. These movements have been analysed in the hope of contributing to the resolution of problems in flagellar mechanics.

RESULTS

(1) Meander waves originate from spontaneous sigmoid bend complexes. (2) On a given flagellum, fully developed meander bends are uniform in their large angle, curvature and propagation speed; interbends can vary in length and shape. (3) No intra-axonemal sliding is transmitted through formed bends; sliding related to new bends is accommodated proximally. (4) Sliding reversal is initiated at a threshold shear angle of approx. 1 rad. (5) The arc wavespeed is the product of the arc wavelength and the beat frequency. (6) Physical obstruction to bend development causes a pause in the oscillation. (7) New bend initiation can thus be dissociated from bend propagation on the distal flagellum. (8) The steps in the forward advance of the oscillation site occur during the early phase of bend growth.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) The main conclusion is that, in meander waves, the mechanical basis of the oscillation appears to be that the propulsive thrust arising from bend propagation acts as a bending stress to trigger sliding reversal, thus perpetuating the rhythmic beating. (2) Oscillations can originate at any position, provided the position is distal to a location where doublet sliding is restrained. (3) Meander waves are an example of new bend development without 'paradoxical' classes of sliding.

Three-dimensional structure of the radial spokes reveals heterogeneity and interactions with dyneins in Chlamydomonas flagella

Cryo–electron tomography of Chlamydomonas flagella reveals previously uncharacterized features of the radial spokes, including structural heterogeneity and direct interactions with dyneins and between the spoke heads. A “radial spoke 3 stand-in” occupies what would be the site of a third spoke in organisms with spoke triplets.

Radial spokes (RSs) play an essential role in the regulation of axonemal dynein activity and thus of ciliary and flagellar motility. However, few details are known about the complexes involved. Using cryo–electron tomography and subtomogram averaging, we visualized the three-dimensional structure of the radial spokes in Chlamydomonas flagella in unprecedented detail. Unlike many other species, Chlamydomonas has only two spokes per axonemal repeat, RS1 and RS2. Our data revealed previously uncharacterized features, including two-pronged spoke bases that facilitate docking to the doublet microtubules, and that inner dyneins connect directly to the spokes. Structures of wild type and the headless spoke mutant pf17 were compared to define the morphology and boundaries of the head, including a direct RS1-to-RS2 interaction. Although the overall structures of the spokes are very similar, we also observed some differences, corroborating recent findings about heterogeneity in the docking of RS1 and RS2. In place of a third radial spoke we found an uncharacterized, shorter electron density named “radial spoke 3 stand-in,” which structurally bears no resemblance to RS1 and RS2 and is unaltered in the pf17 mutant. These findings demonstrate that radial spokes are heterogeneous in structure and may play functionally distinct roles in axoneme regulation.

Flagellar oscillation: a commentary on proposed mechanisms

Eukaryotic flagella and cilia have a remarkably uniform internal 'engine' known as the '9+2' axoneme. With few exceptions, the function of cilia and flagella is to beat rhythmically and set up relative motion between themselves and the liquid that surrounds them. The molecular basis of axonemal movement is understood in considerable detail, with the exception of the mechanism that provides its rhythmical or oscillatory quality. Some kind of repetitive 'switching' event is assumed to occur; there are several proposals regarding the nature of the 'switch' and how it might operate. Herein I first summarise all the factors known to influence the rate of the oscillation (the beating frequency). Many of these factors exert their effect through modulating the mean sliding velocity between the nine doublet microtubules of the axoneme, this velocity being the determinant of bend growth rate and bend propagation rate. Then I explain six proposed mechanisms for flagellar oscillation and review the evidence on which they are based. Finally, I attempt to derive an economical synthesis, drawing for preference on experimental research that has been minimally disruptive of the intricate structure of the axoneme. The 'provisional synthesis' is that flagellar oscillation emerges from an effect of passive sliding direction on the dynein arms. Sliding in one direction facilitates force-generating cycles and dynein-to-dynein synchronisation along a doublet; sliding in the other direction is inhibitory. The direction of the initial passive sliding normally oscillates because it is controlled hydrodynamically through the alternating direction of the propulsive thrust. However, in the absence of such regulation, there can be a perpetual, mechanical self-triggering through a reversal of sliding direction due to the recoil of elastic structures that deform as a response to the prior active sliding. This provisional synthesis may be a useful basis for further examination of the problem.

Automated methods for estimation of sperm flagellar bending parameters

Parameters to describe flagellar bending patterns can be obtained by a microcomputer procedure that uses a set of parameters to synthesize model bending patterns, compares the model bending patterns with digitized and filtered data from flagellar photographs, and uses the Simplex method to vary the parameters until a solution with minimum root mean square differences between the model and the data is found. Parameters for Chlamydomonas bending patterns have been obtained from comparison of shear angle curves for the model and the data. To avoid the determination of the orientation of the basal end of the flagellum, which is required for calculation of shear angles, parameters for sperm flagella have been obtained by comparison of curves of curvature as a function of length for the model and for the data. A constant curvature model, modified from that originally used for Chlamydomonas flagella, has been used for obtaining parameters from sperm flagella, but the methods can be applied using other models for synthesizing the model bending patterns.

Functional state of the axonemal dyneins during flagellar bend propagation

When mouse spermatozoa swim in media of high viscosity, additional waves of bending are superimposed on the primary traveling wave. The additional (secondary) waves are relatively small in scale and high in frequency. They originate in the proximal part of the interbend regions. The initiation of secondary bending happens only in distal parts of the flagellum. The secondary waves propagate along the interbends and then tend to die out as they encounter the next-most-distal bend of the primary wave, if that bend exceeds a certain angle. The principal bends of the primary wave, being of greater angle than the reverse bends, strongly resist invasion by the secondary waves; when a principal bend of the primary wave propagates off the flagellar tip, the secondary wave behind it suddenly increases in amplitude. We claim that the functional state of the dynein motors in relation to the primary wave can be deduced from their availability for recruitment into secondary wave activity. Therefore, only the dyneins in bends are committed functionally to the maintenance and propagation of the flagellar wave; dyneins in interbend regions are not functionally committed in this way. We equate functional commitment with tension-generating activity, although we argue that the regions of dynein thus engaged nevertheless permit sliding displacements between the doublets.

Conversion of beating mode in Chlamydomonas flagella induced by electric stimulation

Electric stimulation of a single Chlamydomonas cell by means of a suction electrode induced a temporary conversion of flagellar waveform from an asymmetric forward mode to a symmetric reverse mode. The reverse mode continued for about 0.5 seconds, after which the forward mode was resumed. Anodic stimulation (current passing outward through the membrane outside the suction pipette) was more effective in inducing the flagellar response than cathodic stimulation. No flagellar response was induced in the absence of free Ca2+ or in the presence of calcium channel inhibitors, pimozide (5 microM) and diltyazem (0.3 mM). These findings indicate that the flagellar response by membrane depolarization followed by a Ca2+ influx through voltage-dependent calcium channels. This experimental system allowed us to quantitatively analyze the behavior of flagella during the waveform conversion. The flagellar bending pattern quickly changed from the forward mode to the reverse mode and, thereafter, gradually resumed the forward mode through two discrete phases: changes during reverse mode beating (phase I) and a distinct transitional phase (phase II). Recovery in curvature and sliding velocity of principal bends occurred mostly in phase I. Almost all of the recovery of reverse bends, returning the curvature to the low values characteristic of asymmetric forward mode beating, occurred in phase II. Beat frequency recovered through both phases. Phase II was often interrupted by a temporary stoppage of beating. These findings indicate that the bending pattern is converted through multiple steps that are controlled by Ca2+.

Inhibition of flagellar beat frequency by a new anti-beta-tubulin antibody

A panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been generated against sea urchin sperm axonemes and selected for their ability to inhibit the motility of sea urchin sperm models. The mAb C9 recognized a 50 kDa protein on blots of sea urchin sperm axonemes. Two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that C9 recognized isoforms of beta-tubulin. Low concentrations of C9 (0.1-1.0 microgram/ml) blocked the motility of sea urchin sperm models by decreasing the sliding velocity and frequency of flagellar beating to less than 1 Hz and by modifying the shear angle along the axoneme, especially the distal end. Other antitubulin antibodies had little effect on motility at concentrations 100-fold higher than those effective for C9. The effects on motility were not restricted to flagella of sea urchin spermatozoa. Flagellar beating of the dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina was completely blocked by C9 in a manner reminiscent of that of sea urchin sperm flagella. The mAb also inhibited the motility of human spermatozoa and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Immunofluorescence techniques revealed that C9 stains the whole axoneme of sea urchin spermatozoa and O. marina flagella together with the cortical network of O. marina cell body. C9 is the first antitubulin antibody reported to interfere with flagellar beat frequency. The observation that this antibody arrests the motility of flagella from sea urchin sperm along with that of dinoflagellate, algae, and human sperm flagella suggests that the epitope recognized by C9 is conserved over a long period of evolution and plays an important role in sperm motility.

Microtubule sliding, bend initiation, and bend propagation parameters of Ciona sperm flagella altered by viscous load

The effect of altered viscous resistance on flagellar bending has been reexamined, utilizing ATP-reactivated sperm flagella from Ciona and newer methods that resolve metachronous and synchronous components of microtubule sliding and allow the examination of bend initiation as well as bend propagation. Large changes in amplitude and wavelength of bend propagation occur with little change in bend initiation parameters, other than frequency, indicating that bend initiation and bend propagation are regulated by quite different mechanisms. At increased viscosity, reduced amplitude of propagating bends, measured as metachronous shear amplitude, is associated with both reduced amplitude during bend initiation and amplitude adjustment after bends begin to propagate. This combination of effects was seen previously when reduced amplitudes were induced by increased salt concentration, and it was suggested to be caused by an imbalance between active moments and viscous resistances. However, in contrast to the results at increased salt concentrations, which involved significant reduction in bend curvature and little reduction in wavelength, increased viscosity causes very little change in curvature and causes a major reduction in wavelength. This difference can be explained by a model of flagellar bending in which inner arm dyneins have primary responsibility for maintaining bend curvature and outer arm dyneins have primary responsibility for performing work against viscous resistances. Both sets of dyneins would be inhibited by increased salt concentration, but increased viscous resistance would be irrelevant to the operation of inner arm dyneins.

Outer arm dynein from Newt lung respiratory cilia: purification and polypeptide composition

Dyneins are multimeric ATPases that comprise the inner and outer arms of cilia and flagella. It previously has been shown that salt extraction of newt lung axonemes selectively removes > 95% of the outer arm dynein (OAD), and that the beat frequency of OAD-depleted axonemes cannot be activated as compared to controls [Hard et al., 1992: Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 21:199-209]. Therefore, expression of the activated state appears to require the presence of outer dynein arms. The present study was undertaken to ascertain basic information on the structure and molecular composition of newt OAD. Populations of demembranated axonemes were extracted with 0.375 M salt. Each lung released approximately 1.4 x 10(7) axonemes during isolation, yielding approximately 120 ng of salt extractable OAD. Electron microscopy of negatively stained samples revealed that newt OAD consisted of two globular heads joined together by a Y-shaped stem, similar to sea urchin and trout sperm OAD. Each head appeared to be roughly spherical in shape, measuring approximately 17 nm in diameter. Electrophoretic analysis of whole axonemes revealed more than six dynein heavy chains when resolved in silver stained 0-8 M urea, 3-5% acrylamide gradients. Extracted OAD, either crude in high salt or purified by alloaffinity, was composed of two heavy chains. UV-induced (366 nm) photolytic cleavage at the V1 site, performed in the presence of Mg2+, vanadate, and ATP, produced four new polypeptides (M(r) 234, 232, 197, and 189 kD). Photolysis was supported by Mg2+ and Ca2+, but did not occur in the presence of Mn2+. The apparent M(r) of the dynein heavy chains was determined to lie between 430-420 kD. Eight discrete polypeptides (putative intermediate chains, IC1-IC8, M(r), 175-56 kD) copurified with the alpha- and beta-heavy chains by microtubule-alloaffinity. Based on its extraction characteristics, polypeptide composition in purified and crude samples, and structure, we conclude that this two-headed particle represents the entire newt respiratory outer arm dynein.

Intermittent swimming in the spermatozoa of the lugworm Arenicola marina (L.) (Annelida: Polychaeta)

Motile spermatozoa of the polychaete Arenicola marina were observed to swim intermittently. On the basis of the behaviour of the flagellum, the quiescent periods can be classified into two main types. The first are those in which, although the generation of the flagellar wave appears to be initiated, its passage down the axoneme appears blocked. This results in the formation of an acute bend (of approximately 2.65 rad) in the proximal region of the flagellum with the remainder of the axoneme remaining straight. These have been termed Type I quiescent periods and are very similar to the "cane-shaped" configuration which has been described in the spermatozoa of some sea urchins. Sperm may also enter a Type II quiescent period, in which both the propagation and the generation of flagellar waves appears blocked. The flagellum of such sperm appears straight or slightly curved and they can remain in this configuration for several minutes. With increased intensity and duration of irradiation, the length of time spent in Type II quiescent period was increased significantly. Both types of quiescent period were (1) reduced in duration and frequency by deletion of calcium from artificial sea water (ASW); (2) either abolished or reduced in duration by the addition of 1 mM cadmium chloride to ASW. In addition, flagellar waveforms very similar to those displayed by spermatozoa in Type I quiescent periods could be induced (if only for a short time) by the addition of the divalent cation ionophore A23187 to ASW.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Microtubule sliding in reduced-amplitude bending waves of Ciona sperm flagella: bending waves attenuated by lithium

The distinct damped, or attenuated, bending pattern observed when demembranated sperm flagella of the tunicate, Ciona, are reactivated in the presence of 2 mM Li+ has been analysed in detail. In these patterns, bends are initiated at the base of the flagellum, but die out after they start to propagate along the flagellum, so that little or no bending is seen in the distal half of the flagellum. A quantitative descriptive analysis shows that the distinctive feature of this attenuation of bending wave amplitude is an asymmetric interbend decay, or slippage, occurring, on average, only at the transitions between a reverse bend and the preceding principal bend. This attenuation is combined with a significant amount of synchronous sliding in the distal half of the flagellum and a decrease in propagation velocity of transitions between bends in the mid-region of the flagellum. Computer simulations demonstrate that the synchronous sliding in the distal half of these flagella can be an entirely passive consequence of the mechanical interaction between active sliding and bending in the basal third of the flagellum and viscous resistances to movement of the distal region of the flagellum through the fluid environment. The current computer models do not contain a mechanism for asymmetric interbend decay that can reproduce these attenuated bending patterns.

Microtubule sliding in reduced-amplitude bending waves of Ciona sperm flagella: resolution of metachronous and synchronous sliding components of stable bending waves

Microtubule sliding associated with the bending of reactivated flagella of demembranated spermatozoa of the tunicate, Ciona, has been analyzed using a descriptive model that permits quantitation of metachronous and synchronous components of sliding. Reduced-amplitude bending waves, obtained by addition of increased salt (K acetate), lithium, or vanadate to the reactivation solutions, have been examined. Increased K acetate can decrease bend angle by as much as 70% with little change in frequency. In all cases, a decrease in the amplitude, or bend angle, of propagated bends is measured as a decrease in the metachronous component of sliding and is associated with a reduction in the growth of new bends after they begin to propagate during the second half-cycle of bend development. At higher K acetate concentrations, bend growth during the second half-cycle of bend development is very strongly reduced and may even become negative. A disparity between the rates of bend growth in the first and second half-cycles of bend development corresponds to a large amount of synchronous sliding in the distal portion of the flagellum. When the synchronous sliding component is large, the sliding velocity in a propagating bend decreases to near-0 values and may even reverse its direction as the bend propagates through the mid-region of the flagellum. Since these large perturbations of sliding velocity do not interfere with regular propagation of bends with nearly constant bend angle, the bend propagation mechanism cannot operate by metachronous control of the velocity of sliding, and is unlikely to operate by local monitoring of either the amount or velocity of sliding. These observations therefore argue against models in which active sliding is regulated by shear or sliding velocity, and make curvature-controlled models relatively more attractive. In many cases, a reduction in sliding during bend initiation (the first half-cycle of development of new bends) also contributes to the decreased amplitude of propagated bends. These changes in bend initiation are similar in both full-length flagella and in flagella shortened by breakage. The amount of sliding that occurs during bend initiation is relatively independent of the distribution of sliding between metachronous and synchronous components in the distal part of the flagellum. These observations therefore provide additional evidence that bend initiation and bend propagation are independent and separable processes.

Evolution of the flagellar waveform of ram spermatozoa in relation to the degree of epididymal maturation

Motility and flagellar movement of ram spermatozoa along the epididymis were analysed in vitro. From the caput to the cauda of the epididymis, the percentage of motile and progressive spermatozoa increases. No flagellar bending was observed in spermatozoa from the testis or the epididymal anterior caput. When spermatozoa reached the distal caput of the epididymis, a static curvature, associated with an initiation of the flagellar beating, appeared on the flagella. This curvature normally disappeared during epididymal transit. Its disappearance was associated with an increase in the flagellar beat efficiency. Our results suggest that the initiation of motility is related to two mechanisms involving: (1) the presence of a transient static curvature, and (2) the establishment of a symmetric regular beating of the flagellum.

Microtubule sliding in swimming sperm flagella: direct and indirect measurements on sea urchin and tunicate spermatozoa

Direct measurements of microtubule sliding in the flagella of actively swimming, demembranated, spermatozoa have been made using submicron diameter gold beads as markers on the exposed outer doublet microtubules. With spermatozoa of the tunicate, Ciona, these measurements confirm values of sliding calculated indirectly by measuring angles relative to the axis of the sperm head. Both methods of measurement show a nonuniform amplitude of oscillatory sliding along the length of the flagellum, providing direct evidence that "oscillatory synchronous sliding" can be occurring in the flagellum, in addition to the metachronous sliding that is necessary to propagate a bending wave. Propagation of constant amplitude bends is not accomplished by propagation of a wave of oscillatory sliding of constant amplitude, and therefore appears to require a mechanism for monitoring and controlling the bend angle as bends propagate. With sea urchin spermatozoa, the direct measurements of sliding do not agree with the values calculated by measuring angles relative to the head axis. The oscillation in angular orientation of the sea urchin sperm head as it swims appears to be accommodated by flexure at the head-flagellum junction and does not correspond to oscillation in orientation of the basal end of the flagellum. Consequently, indirect calculations of sliding based on angles measured relative to the longitudinal axis of the sperm head can be seriously inaccurate in this species.

External mechanical control of the timing of bend initiation in sea urchin sperm flagella

The movement parameters of a sea urchin sperm flagellum can be manipulated mechanically by applying various modes of periodic vibrations to the sperm head held by suction in the tip of a micropipette. The beat frequency of the flagellum readily synchronizes with the frequency of the externally imposed lateral vibration, and the plane of flagellar bending waves adapts itself to the plane of the pipette vibration (Gibbons et al., J. Cell Biol. 101:270a, 1985; Nature 325: 351-352, 1987). In this study, we observed the particular effects of external asymmetric forces on flagellar beating parameters by vibrating the micropipette holding the sperm head in a transverse sawtooth-like motion composed of a rapid effective stroke and a slower recovery stroke, while keeping the vibration frequency constant. The results demonstrate that the timing of bend initiation within the flagellar beat cycle can be controlled mechanically by changing the time point within the vibration cycle at which the micropipette changes its direction of motion. A switch in the sidedness of the asymmetric movement of the micropipette produces dramatic changes in the profiles of bend growth in the basal 5 microns of the flagellum but has almost no effect on the asymmetry or other parameters of bending in the mid- and distal regions of the flagellum. Our results suggest that elastic strain within the basal region of the flagellar structure may play a more significant role in the process of bend initiation than has been realized heretofore.

Flagellar quiescence and transience of inactivation induced by rapid pH drop

The effects of rapid pH drop on the flagellar movement of reactivated sea urchin sperm were studied by video microscopy and by a newly developed pH jump method. Triton-demembranated sperm were reactivated in a thin layer of the reactivation medium containing ATP and potassium acetate and supported by a ring-shaped Millipore filter stuck to the lower surface of a supported coverslip. The pH of the medium was lowered rapidly by dissolving acetic acid vapor abruptly introduced into a gap between the cover and slide. Flagellar beating ceased immediately when the pH of the reactivation medium was lowered. At least two types of cessation were distinguished: 1) "instantaneous" cessation in a bent form closely resembling those characteristic of steady-state beating before pH drop (waveform freeze), and 2) flagellar quiescence in a cane-shaped form resembling those characteristic of Ca-induced quiescence (cane-shaped quiescence). The flagellum again began beating if the pH was raised to normal but eventually was disintegrated by tubule sliding if the pH was left lowered. Field-by-field analysis of the transient movement of flagella becoming quiescent upon pH drop demonstrated that the proximal bend of the cane-shaped form corresponded to the principal bend of the steady-state beating in some flagella, but in others, to the reverse bend. These observations indicate that low pHs affect flagellar beating by interfering with sliding-bending conversion by a mechanism different from that previously reported.

Analysis of the flagellar bending waves of ejaculated ram sperm

The variability of flagellar movement, illustrated by the highly heterogeneous nature of the ejaculated sperm population of the ram, was analyzed by the use of a stroboscopic technique and an adapted microphotographic 24 X 36 camera system. The multiple-moving-exposures (MME) records give very distinct successive sequences of the flagellar beats and are particularly suitable for the analysis of bend development and propagation along the tail. With this technique, the parameters of the flagellar bending waves of ejaculated ram sperm have been determined. Most of the sperm have planar flagellar beatings; few are rolling under the conditions of observation. The trajectories of the gametes are mostly linear; nevertheless, some have circular paths. The analysis of bending has been focused on two examples for which the difference in the progressiveness ratio was maximum. The circular pathways for ram spermatozoa are linked to an asymmetry between principal and reverse bend probably induced by differences in wave propagation evidenced along the flagellum. A typical sperm flagellar movement may be related either to the conditions of the observations or to some differences in the maturation process of the sperm.

New evidence for a "biased baseline" mechanism for calcium-regulated asymmetry of flagellar bending

Time-averaged data covering six to ten beat cycles for ATP-reactivated spermatozoa of a sea urchin and Ciona, and from a uniflagellate mutant of Chlamydomonas, were analyzed to obtain parameters of oscillation and mean shear angle at each point along the flagellum. The mean shear angles usually show a sharp change near the base of the flagellum. This sharp basal change in angle is correlated with perceived asymmetry in the development times of principal and reverse bends when these bends are measured directly from the asymmetric bending patterns, without subtracting out the mean shear angle. The asymmetry in development times was previously considered to be evidence against a "biased baseline" mechanism for asymmetric bending waves, in which completely symmetric bending waves develop and propagate on a curved flagellum. Our analysis now shows that the asymmetry in development times can be fully explained by the presence of a sharp static bend near the base of the flagellum, which can confuse the determination of the times of initiation of new bends at the base of the flagellum. Our reinterpretation of these data removes previous objections to the "biased baseline" mechanism for the regulation of bending wave asymmetry by calcium, and supports other evidence favoring a biased baseline mechanism, rather than a "biased switching" mechanism.

Transient flagellar waveforms in reactivated sea urchin sperm

Flagellar waveforms have been studied during spontaneous stopping and starting transients of sperm of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla reactivated at pH 7.7 with 1 mM MgATP2- in the presence of 15 microM free Ca2+. A stopping transient begins abruptly when a reverse bend fails to be initiated at the proper time, and leaves the last-formed principal bend remaining stationary near the flagellar base while the more distal principal and reverse bends all propagate normally to the tip. After a brief quiescent interval lasting 0.5-4 beat periods, the starting transient begins with initiation of a new reverse bend that then propagates nearly normally to the tip. The total duration of stopping and starting transients is about 1.5 beat periods each, much shorter than the duration of the corresponding transients in the flagella of live sperm studied previously. The brief duration of reactivated transients is interpreted to indicate that the response time of the mechanochemical mechanisms regulating the tubule sliding associated with bend propagation is significantly faster than that of the mechanism responsible for Ca2+-induced asymmetry and quiescence.

The axonemal axis and Ca2+-induced asymmetry of active microtubule sliding in sea urchin sperm tails

Structural studies of stationary principal bends and of definitive patterns of spontaneous microtubule sliding disruption permitted description of the bending axis in sea urchin sperm tail axonemes. Lytechinus pictus sperm were demembranated in a buffer containing Triton X-100 and EGTA. Subsequent resuspension in a reactivation buffer containing 0.4 mM CaCl2 and 1.0 mM MgATP2- resulted in quiescent, rather than motile, cells and each sperm tail axoneme took on an extreme, basal principal bend of 5.2 rad. Thereafter, such flagellar axonemes began to disrupt spontaneously into two subsets of microtubules by active sliding requiring ATP. Darkfield light microscopy demonstrated that subset "1" is composed of microtubules from the inside edge of the principal bend. Subset "2" is composed of microtubules from the outside edge of the principal bend and always scatters less light in darkfield than subset 1. Subset 2, which always slides in the proximal direction, relative to subset 1, results in a basal loop of microtubules, and the subset 2 loop is restricted to the bend plane during sliding disruption. Electron microscopy revealed that doublets 8, 9, 1, 2, 3 and the central pair comprise subset 1, and doublets 4, 5, the bridge, 6, and 7 comprise subset 2. The microtubules of isolated subset 2 are maintained in a circular arc in the absence of spoke-central pair interaction. Longitudinal sections show that the bending plane bisects the central pair. We therefore conclude that the bend plane passes through doublet 1 and the 5-6 bridge and that doublet 1 is at the inside edge of the principal bend. Experimental definition of the axis permits explicit discussion of the location of active axonemal components which result in Ca2+-induced stationary basal bends and explicit description of components responsible for alternating basal principal and reverse bends.

Microtubule termination patterns in mammalian sperm flagella

Detailed reconstructions of the flagellar tip (end-piece) in rodent spermatozoa have shown patterns of displacement between the termination points of the axonemal doublets (judging the terminations by the loss of electron density from the A-tubule). The patterns are in good agreement with those derived from sliding microtubule theory. In the hamster at least, the axis of major displacement passes approximately through doublet 1 and between doublets 5 and 6, though there may be some skewness in the clockwise direction. Microtubules derived from the plane at right angles to this (the central pair and presumably one or both of doublets 3 and 8) continue beyond the rest to the extreme tip, where they appear to be linked together at the cell membrane. This arrangement suggests that the tapering form of the end-piece, and of flagellar terminal filaments and ciliary tips in general, may be an adaptation to contain the sliding microtubules and prevent them impinging on the membrane overlying the tip.

Study of the properties of MgATP2--induced stationary bends in demembranated sea urchin sperm

Methods of demembranation and reactivation of Lytechinus pictus sperm were developed that result in non-motile sperm which take on a stable bend of about 3.5 radians at the proximal end of the cell. The middle and distal portion of the flagellum is relatively straight or slightly bent in the same direction forming a somewhat "C" shaped sperm cell. In these studies, we refer to this characteristic shape as the quiescent form, and as opposed to "rigor wave" sperm, the quiescent form is induced and maintained by a relatively high concentration of MgATP2- (greater than 0.2 mM). Other conditions important to the production and maintenance of the quiescent form in demembranated sperm include: starting with concentrated, undiluted sperm, maintaining low Ca++ in the demembranation buffer, using a minimum of 0.2 mM MgATP2- and pH of 7.9-8.1 in the reactivation buffer. Deviation from some of these conditions results in a dramatic increase in motile, asymmetrically beating sperm. Addition of 0.4 mM CaCl2 to the reactivation buffer increased the proximal bend angle to 5 radians. The induction and maintenance of the stationary bend is mediated by dynein activity: "rigor wave" sperm were transformed to the quiescent form upon 0.2 mM ATP addition; micromolar vanadate abolished the quiescent form by "relaxation" of the proximal bend; and the vanadate relaxed sperm were restored to quiescent form by catechol. Importantly, 20 microM cAMP activated motility of the otherwise quiescent-form sperm. Quiescent-form, demembranated sperm were also activated by mild trypsin digestion. These and other data suggest that the quiescent-form sperm are trapped at the end of the principal bend, and these data are consistent with the proposal that the single stationary bend results from asymmetry of active microtubule sliding [Gibbons and Gibbons, (1980): J. Cell Biol. 84:13-27].

A study of bend formation in locally reactivated hamster sperm flagella

Mature golden hamster sperm were demembranated with Triton X-100, and the flagellum was reactivated locally by iontophoretic application of ATP at various distances from the base. The response was a brief local straightening of a short length of the flagellum followed by the formation of a pair of bends beyond the two ends of the straight region. The two possible proximo-distal sequences of bends, either PR (principal and reverse bends) or RP, could be distinguished and their incidence studied. The formation of PR and RP bend pairs is interpreted as the result of active sliding of the axonemal doublet subsets 1-4 and 6-9 respectively. The probability of obtaining a PR response increased (1) with the initial local curvature of the resting R bend and (2) with the distance of the stimulated site from the flagellar base; it decreased with the duration of incubation after demembranation. The patterns of response in the middle and the principal piece of the flagellum were basically similar although the former was weaker and more complicated. Quantitative analysis of the ATP-induced movements indicates little or no net microtubule displacement distal to the pair of induced bends, suggesting the cancelling of microtubule displacements in the two bends. However, the expected balance in the rate of growth of the two bends was upset by the decay of one bend simultaneously with decay of the original adjacent bend. Propagation of the interbend region started before the growth of the pair of bends reached its maximum, and seemed to be triggered by a critical bend curvature. Propagation was always in the direction base to tip. Experimental findings also suggest a role in the determination of the waveform for the fibrous structures on the periphery of the axoneme which are characteristic of the mammalian sperm flagellum. The present study strengthens the experimental evidence for the mathematical model which proposes that active sliding occurs mainly in the interbend region and causes bending of segments in opposite directions. In addition our findings indicate that the activation of alternate halves of the axoneme is curvature dependent, suggesting a basis for the flagellar oscillation.

Diffusion of Ca2+ and the quiescent response of sea urchin sperm flagella

The starting and stopping transients observed in sea urchin sperm flagella in the presence of high Ca2+ are believed to begin with an influx of Ca2+ into the axoneme and to end, as indicated by resumption of normal beating, when the Ca2+ has been reduced to very low levels by an active extrusion process. If the influx and efflux processes were uniformly distributed along the length of the flagellum, it is not likely that the starting and stopping transients would occur as a well defined sequence of events that always proceeds from the proximal to the distal end. Theoretical analysis of the concentration profiles of Ca2+ expected if Ca2+ influx occurred along the length of the flagellum but efflux was restricted to the proximal end shows that the time required to reduce [Ca2+] in the distal portion of the flagellum would generally be longer than the observed recovery times. Localization of both the influx and efflux processes near the proximal end, however, yields concentration profiles consistent with observations on the duration of starting and stopping transients.