Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration01:21

Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration

6.1K
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...
6.1K
Chemotaxis in E. coli01:27

Chemotaxis in E. coli

1.2K
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...
1.2K
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

7.1K
Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
7.1K
Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

2.7K
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
2.7K
Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

19.1K
Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
19.1K
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

3.6K
Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II  is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction....
3.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reprogrammed SimCells for antimicrobial therapy.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

A retrospectively registered pilot randomized controlled trial of postbiotic administration during antibiotic treatment increases microbiome diversity and enriches health-associated taxa.

Infection and immunity·2025
Same author

Strain displacement in microbiomes via ecological competition.

Nature microbiology·2025
Same author

Bacterial warfare is associated with virulence and antimicrobial resistance.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

The structure of the Tad pilus alignment complex reveals a periplasmic conduit for pilus extension.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Horizontal gene transfer of molecular weapons can reshape bacterial competition.

PLoS biology·2025
Same journal

The TaMYB55-TaSnRK1α1-TabZIP9 module confers heat stress tolerance in wheat.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Superstatistics approach to turbulent circulation fluctuations.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

A molecular timescale for evolution of cobamide biosynthesis.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Pierre Chambon, a pioneer of molecular biology and gene regulation in eukaryotes.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Granulosa cell glycogen fuels the avascular corpus luteum.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Synthetic essentiality of TRAIL/TNFSF10 in VHL-deficient renal cell carcinoma.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Recording Multicellular Behavior in Myxococcus xanthus Biofilms using Time-lapse Microcinematography
10:59

Recording Multicellular Behavior in Myxococcus xanthus Biofilms using Time-lapse Microcinematography

Published on: August 6, 2010

12.7K

Single-cell twitching chemotaxis in developing biofilms.

Nuno M Oliveira1, Kevin R Foster2, William M Durham3

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, United Kingdom; Oxford Centre for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, United Kingdom.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|May 26, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Individual bacteria can navigate chemical gradients on surfaces, a process called chemotaxis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells use twitching motility and a specific system to move towards attractants, reversing direction to correct course rapidly.

Keywords:
Pil-Chp systemPseudomonas aeruginosaType IV pilibacterial chemotaxistwitching motility

More Related Videos

High-throughput Method for Observing Motility Phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
07:23

High-throughput Method for Observing Motility Phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Published on: June 20, 2025

1.9K
Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations
07:40

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Published on: October 29, 2016

11.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Recording Multicellular Behavior in Myxococcus xanthus Biofilms using Time-lapse Microcinematography
10:59

Recording Multicellular Behavior in Myxococcus xanthus Biofilms using Time-lapse Microcinematography

Published on: August 6, 2010

12.7K
High-throughput Method for Observing Motility Phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
07:23

High-throughput Method for Observing Motility Phenotypes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Published on: June 20, 2025

1.9K
Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations
07:40

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Published on: October 29, 2016

11.7K

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Bacterial Motility

Background:

  • Bacteria form biofilms, surface-attached communities crucial to their biology and impact.
  • Chemotaxis, or directed movement along chemical gradients, is vital for bacteria.
  • The ability of individual bacteria to perform chemotaxis on surfaces remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if single bacterial cells can perform effective chemotaxis on surfaces.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms of surface chemotaxis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa during early biofilm formation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized microfluidic devices to create precise chemical gradients.
  • Employed massively parallel automated tracking to monitor individual bacterial cell behavior.
  • Studied the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa during initial stages of biofilm development.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that individual Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells can efficiently move towards chemoattractants.
  • Identified pili-based twitching motility and the Chp chemosensory system as key components of surface chemotaxis.
  • Discovered that cells reverse direction more frequently when moving away from attractant sources, enabling rapid course correction.
  • Showed that these corrective maneuvers occur with submicron precision.

Conclusions:

  • Single bacterial cells possess the capability for precise chemotaxis on surfaces.
  • The Chp chemosensory system and twitching motility facilitate directed movement in surface-attached bacteria.
  • Revealed a behavioral mechanism for rapid corrective maneuvers, highlighting the potential for chemotaxis within biofilms.