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Related Concept Videos

Chemotaxis in E. coli01:27

Chemotaxis in E. coli

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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...
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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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Magnetic bacteria exhibit a directed movement called magnetotaxis, driven by structures called magnetosomes. These magnetosomes consist of chains of magnetic particles made of either magnetite (Fe₃O₄) or greigite (Fe₃S₄) and are organized in a linear conformation by a protein scaffold within invaginations of the cell membrane. The bacteria align along the north–south magnetic field lines, much like a compass needle. They are typically microaerophilic or anaerobic...
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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.
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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.
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Speed-dependent chemotactic precision in marine bacteria.

Kwangmin Son1, Filippo Menolascina2, Roman Stocker3

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; kwangms@mit.edu romanstocker@ethz.ch.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 22, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Marine bacteria exhibit enhanced chemotaxis at higher speeds, accumulating twice as tightly in resource gradients. This speed-dependent bacterial motility is crucial for ecological processes and resource exploitation.

Keywords:
chemokinesischemotaxismotilityoceanrun–reverse–flick

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biophysics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Marine bacteria utilize chemotaxis for ecological functions like host colonization.
  • Their motility differs from model organisms like Escherichia coli, featuring high speeds and flagellar flicking.
  • The relationship between marine bacterial motility and chemotaxis efficiency was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the link between swimming speed, motility patterns, and chemotaxis in marine bacteria.
  • To understand how these factors influence resource gradient exploration.
  • To challenge existing models of bacterial chemotaxis.

Main Methods:

  • Tracking thousands of Vibrio alginolyticus cells in microfluidic gradients.
  • Analyzing cell trajectories and swimming speeds.
  • Developing an agent-based mathematical model to simulate chemotaxis.

Main Results:

  • Chemotactic precision in Vibrio alginolyticus is dependent on swimming speed; faster cells accumulate more effectively.
  • Faster cells exhibit higher reorientation frequencies and flicking rates.
  • Chemokinesis, an increase in speed with resource concentration, further enhances accumulation.
  • The absence of key adaptations significantly reduced population-level resource exposure.

Conclusions:

  • Swimming speed is a critical determinant of gradient-seeking ability in marine bacteria, unlike in E. coli.
  • A novel model of bacterial chemotaxis is proposed, emphasizing the role of swimming speed.
  • These findings highlight the ecological significance of speed-dependent chemotaxis in marine environments.