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Biophysical Characterization of Flagellar Motor Functions
Published on: January 18, 2017
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Biophysical Characterization of Flagellar Motor Functions
Katie M Ford1, Ravi Chawla1, Pushkar P Lele2
1Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University.
Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove
|February 13, 2017
Summary
Bacterial flagellar motors adapt to environmental cues, influencing infection. A new bead-tracking method accurately measures motor speed and switching dynamics, aiding the study of bacterial adaptation and colonization.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biophysics
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Flagellar motors are crucial for bacterial motility and chemotaxis.
- Recent findings indicate flagellar motors remodel in response to environmental stimuli, contributing to surface colonization and infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a photomultiplier-based bead-tracking technique for biophysical characterization of bacterial flagellar motors.
- To enable accurate measurement of motor speed and switch-dynamics for understanding cellular adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a photomultiplier-based bead-tracking technique for real-time monitoring.
- Characterizing flagellar motor functions, including speed and switching dynamics over extended periods.
Main Results:
- The technique allows for accurate biophysical characterization of flagellar motor functions.
- Demonstrated ability to track motor adaptations in real-time and over extended durations.
Conclusions:
- The presented bead-tracking method provides a robust approach to study bacterial flagellar motor adaptations.
- This technique can be readily applied to diverse bacterial species to investigate motor behavior and its role in infection and colonization.
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