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Bacterial mechanosensing: the force will be with you, always.
Vernita D Gordon1,2, Liyun Wang3
1Department of Physics and Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA gordon@chaos.utexas.edu.
Journal of Cell Science
|April 5, 2019
Summary
Bacteria sense and respond to mechanical forces in their environment, whether free-floating or attached to surfaces. This review explores bacterial mechanosensing, highlighting key structures involved and future research directions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Bacteria exist in planktonic and biofilm states, constantly exposed to mechanical forces.
- Evolutionary success suggests bacteria adapt to and respond to mechanical cues.
- Bacterial mechanosensing, the perception of mechanical stimuli, is an under-investigated field.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of bacterial mechanosensing.
- To examine surface-associated bacterial behaviors and mechanosensing evidence.
- To identify potential mechanosensors in bacteria.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of bacterial mechanosensing.
- Analysis of surface-associated bacterial behaviors.
- Summary of evidence for mechanosensing mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Bacteria are subject to mechanical forces in both planktonic and sessile states.
- Flagella, type-IV pili, and envelope proteins are identified as potential bacterial mechanosensors.
- Both direct and indirect evidence for bacterial mechanosensing is presented.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial mechanosensing is crucial for adaptation to environmental mechanical cues.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms of bacterial mechanosensing.
- This review provides a framework for future investigations into bacterial mechanosensing.
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