Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Preparation, Imaging, and Quantification of Bacterial Surface Motility Assays
07:35

Preparation, Imaging, and Quantification of Bacterial Surface Motility Assays

Published on: April 7, 2015

Swarming characteristics of Proteus mirabilis under anaerobic and aerobic conditions

M L Wilkerson1, E C Niederhoffer

  • 1Medical Biochemistry and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Carbondale, IL62901, USA.

Anaerobe
|December 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Nutrients like iron and zinc significantly impact Proteus mirabilis 7002 growth and swarming. Aerobic conditions are crucial for P. mirabilis 7002 to resume swarming behavior and exhibit community organization.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Physiology
  • Cellular Differentiation

Background:

  • Nutrient availability profoundly influences bacterial growth and collective behaviors.
  • Proteus mirabilis is known for its complex swarming motility, a multicellular behavior.
  • The role of specific nutrients and environmental conditions in P. mirabilis swarming requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of key nutrients on the growth and swarming behavior of Proteus mirabilis 7002.
  • To determine the influence of aerobic versus anaerobic conditions on P. mirabilis 7002 swarming.
  • To visualize the structural organization during P. mirabilis 7002 swarming.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing Proteus mirabilis 7002 under varying nutrient and oxygen conditions.
  • Observing and quantifying swarming motility on agar plates.
  • Utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for high-resolution imaging of bacterial structures.

Main Results:

  • Iron, zinc, amino acids, and dioxygen were identified as critical for rapid growth and normal swarming in P. mirabilis 7002.
  • Anaerobically grown P. mirabilis 7002 failed to swarm, but resumed motility upon exposure to aerobic conditions.
  • SEM revealed distinct community organization and mature raft structures during aerobic swarming.

Conclusions:

  • Oxygen availability and redox status are essential regulators of Proteus mirabilis 7002 growth and swarming.
  • Nutrient composition and environmental oxygen levels play a significant role in P. mirabilis 7002 cell differentiation and multicellular behavior.

More Related Videos

High-throughput Method for Observing Motility Phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa07:23

High-throughput Method for Observing Motility Phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Published on: June 20, 2025

Super-resolution Imaging of Proteus mirabilis Biofilm by Expansion Microscopy07:10

Super-resolution Imaging of Proteus mirabilis Biofilm by Expansion Microscopy

Published on: July 18, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns01:29

Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns

Microorganisms exhibit diverse oxygen requirements and growth patterns driven by their metabolic strategies and environmental adaptations. Oxygen, while essential for many organisms, can also be toxic under certain conditions, shaping how microorganisms grow and survive.Oxygen Requirements of MicroorganismsMicroorganisms are classified based on their ability to use or tolerate oxygen:● Obligate aerobes like Mycobacterium tuberculosis need oxygen for energy production, as it serves as the...
Bacterial Phylum Planctomycetes01:26

Bacterial Phylum Planctomycetes

Planctomycetes are a group of morphologically distinct bacteria predominantly classified into two orders: Planctomycetales and Brocadiales. These gram-negative bacteria exhibit unique features, including division by budding and the presence of stalks or appendages. Their cells are often found in rosette arrangements, and they are notable for possessing an S-layer in their cell envelope, which is relatively uncommon among bacteria. Additionally, Planctomycetes frequently exhibit intracellular...
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes01:24

Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes

The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
Microbial Mats01:25

Microbial Mats

Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...
Microbial Interactions: Competition01:26

Microbial Interactions: Competition

Microbial competition is an ecological interaction in which microorganisms vie for limited resources within shared environments. These resources may include nutrients, space, or light, depending on the system. The intensity and outcome of competition are influenced by the environmental context, such as nutrient availability, spatial constraints, and the diversity of microbial species present. These competitive interactions significantly influence the structure, function, and resilience of...
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology01:18

Deep Sea Microbial Ecology

The deep ocean and its underlying sediments represent vast, largely unexplored microbial habitats that extend far beyond the sunlit photic zone. The photic (euphotic) zone typically spans the upper ~100–200 meters of pelagic waters in the open ocean, but its depth varies geographically and seasonally, where sufficient light supports photosynthetic life. Below this lies the deep sea, spanning roughly 1000–6000 meters (bathypelagic to abyssal zones), with deeper hadal trenches extending beyond...