abstract

• How cells migrate has been investigated primarily for the case of trajectories composed by joined straight segments. In contrast, little is known when cellular motion follows intrinsically curved paths. Here, we use time-lapse optical microscopy and automated trajectory tracking to investigate how individual cells of the diatom Nitzschia communis glide across surfaces under isotropic environmental conditions. We find a distinct kind of random motion, where trajectories are formed by circular arcs traveled at constant speed, alternated with random stoppages, direction reversals and changes in the orientation of the arcs. Analysis of experimental and computer-simulated trajectories show that the circular random motion of diatom gliding is not optimized for long-distance travel but rather for recurrent coverage of limited surface area. These results suggest that one main biological role for this type of diatom motility is to efficiently build the foundation of algal biofilms. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.

authors

• Guerra A.J.
• Gutiérrez-Medina B.
• Maldonado A.I.P.
• Meza J.V.G.
• Rubio Y.C.

publication date

• 2014-01-01

funding provided via

• Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, CONACYT  Grant

published in

• Physical Biology  Journal

keywords

• Biofilms; Cellular motility; Circular random motion; Diatoms; Trajectory tracking Bacillariophyta; biofilm; biological model; computer simulation; diatom; electron microscopy; growth, development and aging; movement (physiology); physiology; time lapse imaging; Biofilms; Computer Simulation; Diatoms; Microscopy, Electron; Models, Biological; Movement; Time-Lapse Imaging

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1088/1478-3975/11/6/066006

PubMed ID

• 25393453

start page

end page

volume

• 11

issue

• 6