Effect of vanadate on gill cilia: switching mechanism in ciliary beat

Lateral (L) cilia of freshwater mussel (Margaritana margaritifera and Elliptio complanatus) gills can be arrested in one of two unique positions. When treated with 12.5 mM CaCl2 and 10(-5) M A23187 they arrest in a "hands up" position, ie, pointing frontally. When treated with approximately 10 mM vanadate (V) they arrest in a "hands down" position, ie, pointing abfrontally. L-cilia treated with 12.5 mM CaCl2 and 1 mM NaN3 also arrest in a "hands down" position; substitution of 20 mM KCl and 1 mM NaN3 causes cilia to move rapidly and simultaneously to a "hands up" position. The observations suggest that there are two switching mechanisms for activation of active sliding in ciliary beat one at the end of the recovery stroke and the other at the end of the effective stroke; the first is inhibited by calcium and the second by vanadate or azide. This is consistent with a model of ciliary beating where microtubule doublet numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 are active during the effective stroke while microtubule doublets numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 are passive, and the converse occurs during the recovery stroke.