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Optimal Cell Length for Exploration and Exploitation in Chemotactic Planktonic Bacteria.

Òscar Guadayol1, Rudi Schuech2, Stuart Humphries3

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Optimal bacterial cell length for efficient chemotaxis depends on the environment. Intermediate lengths excel in transient states, while longer cells are best in steady states and specific microenvironments like the phycosphere.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biophysics
  • Mathematical Biology

Background:

  • Motile bacterioplankton often exhibit elongated morphologies, commonly linked to enhanced chemotaxis.
  • The optimal cell length for efficient chemotaxis remains unclear, despite its ecological significance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the existence of an optimal cell length for chemotaxis.
  • To understand how physical constraints and the exploration-exploitation trade-off influence chemotactic efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized cephalexin-treated Escherichia coli in microfluidic devices with stable chemical gradients.
  • Employed an Individual-Based-Model (IBM) for sensitivity analysis.
  • Simulated chemotactic performance in a phycosphere model.

Main Results:

  • Intermediate-length cells showed the tightest aggregation to chemoattractants in experiments.
  • IBM analysis revealed intermediate lengths are optimal for transient chemotaxis, while longer cells are superior at steady states.
  • Short cells exhibited poor chemotaxis due to directionality loss; long cells were hindered by brief, slow runs.

Conclusions:

  • Cell length significantly impacts chemotactic efficiency, with optimal length being context-dependent.
  • Environmental stability, transient vs. steady states, and microenvironment characteristics (e.g., phycosphere) influence optimal cell size selection.