Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Coupled active systems encode emergent behavioral dynamics of the unicellular predator Lacrymaria olor

Scott M. Coyle, Ellie M. Flaum, Hongquan Li, Deepak Krishnamurthy, View ORCID ProfileManu Prakash
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/406595
Scott M. Coyle
1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ellie M. Flaum
1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
2Graduate Program in Biophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Hongquan Li
1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
2Graduate Program in Biophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Deepak Krishnamurthy
1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
2Graduate Program in Biophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Manu Prakash
1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
3Howard Hughes Medical Institute Faculty Scholar, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
4Chan Zuckerberg BioHub Investigator, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Manu Prakash
  • For correspondence: manup@stanford.edu
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Multiple active systems in a cell work together to produce sophisticated cellular behaviors such as motility and search. However, it is often unclear how this coupling specifies the complex emergent dynamics that define such behaviors. As a model system, we analyzed the hunting strategy of Lacrymaria olor, a unicellular predatory ciliate that uses extreme morphological changes to extend, contract and whip an apparent “cell neck” over many body lengths to capture prey. Tracking millions of unique subcellular morphologies over time revealed that these fast dynamics encode a comprehensive local search behavior apparent only at longer timescales. This hunting behavior emerges as a tug-of-war between active sub-cellular structures that use surface cilia and cortex contractility to deform the structure of the neck. The resulting search space can be described mathematically using a small number of normal shape modes that change amplitude rapidly during hunts. The distribution of these shape modes in space and time reveals a transition point between tense and compressed neck morphologies at the mean neck length, such that new shapes are readily sampled by repeatedly extending and retracting across this critical length. Molecular perturbations to the cell-signaling controller show that coupling between ciliary and contractile programs is needed to maintain this length/shape relationship; neither system alone provides the dynamic repertoire of shapes necessary for comprehensive search. Our results highlight the utility of coupling antagonistic active systems as a strategy for encoding or engineering complex behaviors in molecular machines.

One Sentence Summary: Analysis of millions of unique cellular morphologies of the highly dynamic single-celled predator Lacrymaria olor reveals that it programs a comprehensive search space and emergent hunting behavior through coupling surface based active cilia and cortex based contractile molecular systems together.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted September 03, 2018.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Coupled active systems encode emergent behavioral dynamics of the unicellular predator Lacrymaria olor
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Coupled active systems encode emergent behavioral dynamics of the unicellular predator Lacrymaria olor
Scott M. Coyle, Ellie M. Flaum, Hongquan Li, Deepak Krishnamurthy, Manu Prakash
bioRxiv 406595; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/406595
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Coupled active systems encode emergent behavioral dynamics of the unicellular predator Lacrymaria olor
Scott M. Coyle, Ellie M. Flaum, Hongquan Li, Deepak Krishnamurthy, Manu Prakash
bioRxiv 406595; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/406595

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Systems Biology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (3691)
  • Biochemistry (7800)
  • Bioengineering (5678)
  • Bioinformatics (21295)
  • Biophysics (10582)
  • Cancer Biology (8179)
  • Cell Biology (11946)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (6764)
  • Ecology (10401)
  • Epidemiology (2065)
  • Evolutionary Biology (13874)
  • Genetics (9709)
  • Genomics (13074)
  • Immunology (8150)
  • Microbiology (20020)
  • Molecular Biology (7859)
  • Neuroscience (43070)
  • Paleontology (321)
  • Pathology (1279)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2260)
  • Physiology (3353)
  • Plant Biology (7232)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1313)
  • Synthetic Biology (2008)
  • Systems Biology (5539)
  • Zoology (1128)