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Symmetries in bacterial motility

H C Berg1

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|December 10, 1996
PubMed
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Bacterial locomotion relies on breaking symmetries in helical filament rotation and population movement. This allows bacteria to swim efficiently and form ordered aggregates in nutrient gradients.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Biophysics
  • Bacterial Motility and Collective Behavior

Background:

  • Bacteria swim at very low Reynolds numbers, necessitating cyclic motion for propulsion.
  • Helical flagellar filaments are commonly rotated by a flagellar rotary motor to achieve locomotion.
  • Bacterial populations often exhibit symmetric outward expansion in uniform nutrient media.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe three key symmetries in bacterial locomotion.
  • To explain how these symmetries are circumvented or broken.
  • To investigate the mechanisms underlying bacterial movement and population dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of physical principles governing bacterial swimming at low Reynolds numbers.
  • Examination of the flagellar rotary motor's torque generation and its coupling to helical filaments.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Observation of bacterial population growth patterns and the impact of chemoattractant excretion.

    • Main Results:

    • Propulsion requires cyclic motion, achieved by rotating helical filaments (right- or left-handed).
    • The flagellar motor's torque symmetry is broken by its mechanical coupling to the filament.
    • Chemoattractant excretion by bacterial populations can disrupt symmetric ring formation, leading to ordered aggregates.

    Conclusions:

    • Symmetry breaking is crucial for efficient bacterial locomotion and complex population behaviors.
    • The interplay between motor function, filament mechanics, and environmental signaling drives bacterial collective movement.
    • Understanding these principles offers insights into microbial ecology and the emergence of order in biological systems.