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Related Concept Videos

Chemotaxis in E. coli01:27

Chemotaxis in E. coli

Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli is a sensory-driven motility mechanism that enables bacteria to navigate chemical gradients, moving toward beneficial environments while avoiding harmful conditions. This process relies on a signal transduction system integrating external chemical cues with flagellar motor control.Chemoreceptors and Signal DetectionE. coli detects chemical gradients through methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), which are membrane-bound chemoreceptors that sense attractants...
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Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon towards...
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Flagella and Motility in Bacteria

Flagella are specialized, thread-like structures that extend from a bacteria's cell envelope. They play a crucial role in motility and chemotaxis. Their structural organization and functioning exemplify sophisticated biological engineering, enabling bacterial survival and adaptability in diverse environments.Structure of the FlagellumA bacterial flagellum consists of three key components: the filament, the hook, and basal body. The filament, a long, helical structure composed of repeating...

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Bacterial chemotaxis in an optical trap.

Tuba Altindal1, Suddhashil Chattopadhyay, Xiao-Lun Wu

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

Plos One
|April 16, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Marine bacteria Vibrio alginolyticus exhibit a conserved biphasic chemotaxis response, similar to E. coli. Optical trapping reveals this conserved behavior in flagellar motor switching rates.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biophysics
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Chemotaxis is crucial for bacterial survival and adaptation.
  • Vibrio alginolyticus, a marine bacterium, possesses a single polar flagellum enabling directed movement.
  • Understanding chemotactic mechanisms in diverse bacteria provides insights into evolutionary conservation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the chemotactic behavior of Vibrio alginolyticus using optical trapping.
  • To measure the flagellar motor switching rate under chemical stimulation.
  • To compare the chemotactic response of V. alginolyticus to that of Escherichia coli.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized optical trapping to monitor the rotation of the single polar flagellum of V. alginolyticus.
  • Measured the flagellar motor switching rate S(t) in response to impulsive changes in chemoattractant (serine).

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  • Applied a mathematical model developed for chemotaxis in E. coli to analyze the data.

    • Main Results:

    • Observed a biphasic response in the bacterial motor switching rate S(t).
    • The response included a rapid initial phase followed by a slow relaxation to a steady-state rate S0.
    • The measured S(t) closely matched predictions from the E. coli chemotaxis model.

    Conclusions:

    • Vibrio alginolyticus exhibits a chemotactic response similar to Escherichia coli, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved mechanism.
    • The biphasic response to chemical stimuli appears to be a conserved feature across different bacterial species.
    • Optical tweezers are effective tools for studying chemotaxis in polarly flagellated bacteria.