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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...
Flagella and Motility in Bacteria01:18

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...
Stringent Response in E. coli01:23

Stringent Response in E. coli

Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria01:10

Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria

Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a virus that...
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria01:29

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Investigating Flagella-Driven Motility in Escherichia coli by Applying Three Established Techniques in a Series
07:59

Investigating Flagella-Driven Motility in Escherichia coli by Applying Three Established Techniques in a Series

Published on: May 10, 2020

Direct upstream motility in Escherichia coli.

Tolga Kaya1, Hur Koser

  • 1School of Engineering and Technology, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, USA.

Biophysical Journal
|April 17, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Wild-type Escherichia coli exhibit positive rheotaxis, swimming upstream rapidly in moderate flow. This bacterial motility is faster than biofilm advancement and independent of cell shape.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Bacterial Motility

Background:

  • Understanding bacterial movement in flow is crucial for biofilm formation and infection dynamics.
  • Escherichia coli (E. coli) are model organisms for studying bacterial behavior.
  • Hydrodynamic interactions significantly influence microbial motility in aquatic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally demonstrate positive rheotaxis in wild-type E. coli.
  • To investigate the influence of shear rate on bacterial swimming behavior.
  • To compare bacterial upstream migration speed with biofilm advancement rates.

Main Methods:

  • Observing E. coli swimming behavior over a surface under controlled flow conditions.
  • Quantifying bacterial speed and trajectory in relation to varying shear rates.

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High-throughput Method for Observing Motility Phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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High-throughput Method for Observing Motility Phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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Last Updated: May 23, 2026

Investigating Flagella-Driven Motility in Escherichia coli by Applying Three Established Techniques in a Series
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Published on: May 10, 2020

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Generation of Null Mutants to Elucidate the Role of Bacterial Glycosyltransferases in Bacterial Motility

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  • Analyzing the impact of Brownian motion and cell tumbling on motility.

    • Main Results:

    • Positive rheotaxis (upstream swimming) was observed in E. coli below a critical shear rate.
    • Bacterial upstream migration exceeded 20 μm/s, surpassing typical biofilm advancement.
    • Motility modes varied with shear rate: circular/random (low), rheotaxis (moderate), sideways (high).
    • Swim speed and upstream motility were independent of cell aspect ratio.

    Conclusions:

    • E. coli can achieve rapid upstream migration via positive rheotaxis in flowing systems.
    • Local shear rate dictates the dominant hydrodynamic motility mode for bacteria.
    • Faster swimming bacteria exhibit enhanced upstream motility at higher shear rates.