Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Investigating Flagella-Driven Motility in Escherichia coli by Applying Three Established Techniques in a Series
07:59

Investigating Flagella-Driven Motility in Escherichia coli by Applying Three Established Techniques in a Series

Published on: May 10, 2020

Flagellar Motor Dynamics of E. coli Persisters under High-Load Reveal Impaired Performance and a Divergent

Yixiao Xiong1,2, Xiaona Fang3, Jin Wang1,2,4

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|June 4, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial persister cells, tolerant to antibiotics, exhibit altered flagellar motor dynamics. Their motors become more energy-dissipative under stress, impacting infection persistence.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biophysics
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • Bacterial persisters are dormant cells contributing to persistent infections.
  • Flagellar motility is crucial for persister cell function.
  • The biophysical mechanisms of flagellar motors in persisters are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the physical dynamics of flagellar motors in antibiotic-induced persister cells.
  • To compare motor behavior in persisters versus actively growing cells under mechanical load.
  • To investigate the thermodynamic state of flagellar motors during antibiotic persistence.

Main Methods:

  • Induction of persister cells using rifampin in E. coli.
  • Systematic characterization of flagellar motor behavior under high mechanical load.
  • Nonequilibrium thermodynamic analysis of motor function and kinetics.

Main Results:

  • Persister cell flagellar motors showed reduced activity and torque but maintained directional bias.
  • Mid-exponential phase motors operated near thermodynamic balance with minimal dissipation.
  • Persister motors shifted to a dissipative, nonequilibrium state with increased entropy production and time-irreversibility.

Conclusions:

  • Flagellar motor kinetic machinery is largely preserved in persister cells.
  • Antibiotic stress compromises the energetic optimization of flagellar motors.
  • Persister formation incurs a thermodynamic cost, impacting motor function.

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