1
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Partridge JD, Harshey RM. Flagellar protein FliL: A many-splendored thing. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 39096095 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
FliL is a bacterial flagellar protein demonstrated to associate with, and regulate ion flow through, the stator complex in a diverse array of bacterial species. FliL is also implicated in additional functions such as stabilizing the flagellar rod, modulating rotor bias, sensing the surface, and regulating gene expression. How can one protein do so many things? Its location is paramount to understanding its numerous functions. This review will look at the evidence, attempt to resolve some conflicting findings, and offer new thoughts on FliL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Partridge
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Rasika M Harshey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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2
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Johnson S, Freedman B, Tang JX. Run-and-tumble kinematics of Enterobacter Sp. SM3. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:064402. [PMID: 39021001 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.064402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The recent discovery of the peritrichous, swarm-competent bacterium Enterobacter sp. SM3 has offered a new opportunity to investigate the connection between bacterial swimming and swarming. Here, we report the run-and-tumble behavior of SM3 as planktonic swimming cells and as swarming cells diluted in liquid medium, drawing comparison between the two states. Swimming cells of SM3 run for an average of 0.77 s with a speed of approximately 30µm/s before tumbling. Tumbles last for a duration of 0.12 s on average and cause changes in direction averaging 69^{∘}. Swimming cells exposed to the common chemoattractant serine in bulk solution suppress the frequency of tumbles in the steady state, lengthening the average run duration and decreasing the average tumble angle. When exposed to aspartate, cells do not demonstrate a notable change in run-and-tumble parameters in the steady state. For swarming cells of SM3, the frequency of tumbles is reduced, with the average run duration being 50% longer on average than that of swimming cells in the same liquid medium. Additionally, the average tumble angle of swarming cells is smaller by 35%. These findings reveal that the newly identified species, SM3, performs run-and-tumble motility similar to other species of peritrichous bacteria such as E. coli, both in the swimming and swarming states. We present a simple mechanical model, which provides a physical understanding of the run-and-tumble behavior of peritrichous bacteria.
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3
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McNeill J, Mallouk TE. Acoustically Powered Nano- and Microswimmers: From Individual to Collective Behavior. ACS NANOSCIENCE AU 2023; 3:424-440. [PMID: 38144701 PMCID: PMC10740144 DOI: 10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.3c00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Micro- and nanoscopic particles that swim autonomously and self-assemble under the influence of chemical fuels and external fields show promise for realizing systems capable of carrying out large-scale, predetermined tasks. Different behaviors can be realized by tuning swimmer interactions at the individual level in a manner analogous to the emergent collective behavior of bacteria and mammalian cells. However, the limited toolbox of weak forces with which to drive these systems has made it difficult to achieve useful collective functions. Here, we review recent research on driving swimming and particle self-organization using acoustic fields, which offers capabilities complementary to those of the other methods used to power microswimmers. With either chemical or acoustic propulsion (or a combination of the two), understanding individual swimming mechanisms and the forces that arise between individual particles is a prerequisite to harnessing their interactions to realize collective phenomena and macroscopic functionality. We discuss here the ingredients necessary to drive the motion of microscopic particles using ultrasound, the theory that describes that behavior, and the gaps in our understanding. We then cover the combination of acoustically powered systems with other cross-compatible driving forces and the use of ultrasound in generating collective behavior. Finally, we highlight the demonstrated applications of acoustically powered microswimmers, and we offer a perspective on the state of the field, open questions, and opportunities. We hope that this review will serve as a guide to students beginning their work in this area and motivate others to consider research in microswimmers and acoustic fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey
M. McNeill
- Department of Chemistry, University
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Thomas E. Mallouk
- Department of Chemistry, University
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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4
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Wang XG, Zou ZP, Du Y, Ye BC, Zhou Y. Construction of an Engineered Escherichia coli with Efficient Chemotactic and Metabolizing Ability toward Tetrathionate. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3414-3423. [PMID: 37939253 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of genetically engineered bacteria has provided a new means for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. However, in vivo applications of these engineered bacteria are hindered by their inefficient accumulation in areas of inflammation. In this study, we constructed an engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) for directional migration toward tetrathionate (a biomarker of gut inflammation), which is regulated by the TtrSR two-component system (TCS) from Shewanella baltica OS195 (S. baltica). Specifically, we removed endogenous cheZ to control the motility of E. coli. Moreover, we introduced the reductase gene cluster (ttrBCA) from Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium (S. typhimurium), a major pathogen causing gut inflammation, into E. coli to metabolize tetrathionate. The resulting strain was tested for its motility along the gradients of tetrathionate; the engineered strain exhibits tropism to tetrathionate compared with the original strain. Furthermore, the engineered E. coli could only restore its smooth swimming ability when tetrathionate existed. With these modifications enabling tetrathionate-mediated chemotactic and metabolizing activity, this strategy with therapeutic elements will provide a great potential opportunity for target treatment of various diseases by swapping the corresponding genetic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Ge Wang
- Lab of Biosystems and Microanalysis, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong RD 130, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zhen-Ping Zou
- Lab of Biosystems and Microanalysis, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong RD 130, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yue Du
- Lab of Biosystems and Microanalysis, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong RD 130, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Bang-Ce Ye
- Lab of Biosystems and Microanalysis, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong RD 130, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Lab of Biosystems and Microanalysis, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Meilong RD 130, Shanghai 200237, China
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5
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Partridge JD, Dufour Y, Hwang Y, Harshey RM. Flagellar motor remodeling during swarming requires FliL. Mol Microbiol 2023; 120:670-683. [PMID: 37675594 PMCID: PMC10942728 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
FliL is an essential component of the flagellar machinery in some bacteria, but a conditional one in others. The conditional role is for optimal swarming in some bacteria. During swarming, physical forces associated with movement on a surface are expected to exert a higher load on the flagellum, requiring more motor torque to move. FliL was reported to enhance motor output in several bacteria and observed to assemble as a ring around ion-conducting stators that power the motor. In this study we identify a common new function for FliL in diverse bacteria-Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Proteus mirabilis. During swarming, all these bacteria show increased cell speed and a skewed motor bias that suppresses cell tumbling. We demonstrate that these altered motor parameters, or "motor remodeling," require FliL. Both swarming and motor remodeling can be restored in an E. coli fliL mutant by complementation with fliL genes from P. mirabilis and B. subtilis, showing conservation of a swarming-associated FliL function across phyla. In addition, we demonstrate that the strong interaction we reported earlier between FliL and the flagellar MS-ring protein FliF is confined to the RBM-3 domain of FliF that links the periplasmic rod to the cytoplasmic C-ring. This interaction may explain several phenotypes associated with the absence of FliL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D. Partridge
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Yann Dufour
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - YuneSahng Hwang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Rasika M. Harshey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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6
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Bru JL, Kasallis SJ, Zhuo Q, Høyland-Kroghsbo NM, Siryaporn A. Swarming of P. aeruginosa: Through the lens of biophysics. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:031305. [PMID: 37781002 PMCID: PMC10540860 DOI: 10.1063/5.0128140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Swarming is a collective flagella-dependent movement of bacteria across a surface that is observed across many species of bacteria. Due to the prevalence and diversity of this motility modality, multiple models of swarming have been proposed, but a consensus on a general mechanism for swarming is still lacking. Here, we focus on swarming by Pseudomonas aeruginosa due to the abundance of experimental data and multiple models for this species, including interpretations that are rooted in biology and biophysics. In this review, we address three outstanding questions about P. aeruginosa swarming: what drives the outward expansion of a swarm, what causes the formation of dendritic patterns (tendrils), and what are the roles of flagella? We review models that propose biologically active mechanisms including surfactant sensing as well as fluid mechanics-based models that consider swarms as thin liquid films. Finally, we reconcile recent observations of P. aeruginosa swarms with early definitions of swarming. This analysis suggests that mechanisms associated with sliding motility have a critical role in P. aeruginosa swarm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Louis Bru
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Summer J. Kasallis
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Quantum Zhuo
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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7
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Partridge JD, Dufour Y, Hwang Y, Harshey RM. Flagellar motor remodeling during swarming requires FliL. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.14.549092. [PMID: 37503052 PMCID: PMC10370021 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.14.549092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
FliL is an essential component of the flagellar machinery in some bacteria, but a conditional one in others. The conditional role is for optimal swarming in some bacteria. During swarming, physical forces associated with movement on a surface are expected to exert a higher load on the flagellum, requiring more motor torque to move. Bacterial physiology and morphology are also altered during swarming to cope with the challenges of surface navigation. FliL was reported to enhance motor output in several bacteria and observed to assemble as a ring around ion-conducting stators that power the motor. In this study we identify a common new function for FliL in diverse bacteria - Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Proteus mirabilis . During swarming, all these bacteria show increased cell speed and a skewed motor bias that suppresses cell tumbling. We demonstrate that these altered motor parameters, or 'motor remodeling', require FliL. Both swarming and motor remodeling can be restored in an E. coli fliL mutant by complementation with fliL genes from P. mirabilis and B. subtilis , showing conservation of swarming-associated FliL function across phyla. In addition, we demonstrate that the strong interaction we reported earlier between FliL and the flagellar MS-ring protein FliF is confined to the RBM-3 domain of FliF that links the periplasmic rod to the cytoplasmic C-ring. This interaction may explain several phenotypes associated with the absence of FliL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Partridge
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Yann Dufour
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - YuneSahng Hwang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Rasika M Harshey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
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8
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McNeill JM, Choi YC, Cai YY, Guo J, Nadal F, Kagan CR, Mallouk TE. Three-Dimensionally Complex Phase Behavior and Collective Phenomena in Mixtures of Acoustically Powered Chiral Microspinners. ACS NANO 2023; 17:7911-7919. [PMID: 37022928 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c01966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The process of dynamic self-organization of small building blocks is fundamental to the emergent function of living systems and is characteristic of their out-of-equilibrium homeostasis. The ability to control the interactions of synthetic particles in large groups could lead to the realization of analogous macroscopic robotic systems with microscopic complexity. Rotationally induced self-organization has been observed in biological systems and modeled theoretically, but studies of fast, autonomously moving synthetic rotors remain rare. Here, we report switchable, out-of-equilibrium hydrodynamic assembly and phase separation in suspensions of acoustically powered chiral microspinners. Semiquantitative modeling suggests that three-dimensionally (3D) complex spinners interact through viscous and weakly inertial (streaming) flows. The interactions between spinners were studied over a range of densities to construct a phase diagram, which included gaseous dimer pairing at low density, collective rotation and multiphase separation at intermediate densities, and ultimately jamming at high density. The 3D chirality of the spinners leads to self-organization in parallel planes, forming a three-dimensionally hierarchical system that goes beyond the 2D systems that have so far been modeled computationally. Dense mixtures of spinners and passive tracer particles also show active-passive phase separation. These observations are consistent with recent theoretical predictions of the hydrodynamic coupling between rotlets generated by autonomous spinners and provide an exciting experimental window to the study of colloidal active matter and microrobotic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M McNeill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Yun Chang Choi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Yi-Yu Cai
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jiacen Guo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - François Nadal
- Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Cherie R Kagan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Thomas E Mallouk
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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9
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Partridge JD, Harshey RM. Swarming Motility Assays in Salmonella. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2646:147-158. [PMID: 36842113 PMCID: PMC10942719 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3060-0_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Salmonella enterica has six subspecies, of which the subspecies enterica is the most important for human health. The dispersal and infectivity of this species are dependent upon flagella-driven motility. Two kinds of flagella-mediated movements have been described-swimming individually in bulk liquid and swarming collectively over a surface substrate. During swarming, the bacteria acquire a distinct physiology, the most significant consequence of which is acquisition of adaptive resistance to antibiotics. Described here are protocols to cultivate, verify, and study swimming and swarming motility in S. enterica, and an additional "border-crossing" assay, where cells "primed" to swarm are presented with an environmental challenge such as antibiotics to assess their propensity to handle the challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Partridge
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Rasika M Harshey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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10
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Zou M, Wang K, Zhao J, Lu H, Yang H, Huang M, Wang L, Wang G, Huang J, Min X. DegS protease regulates the motility, chemotaxis, and colonization of Vibrio cholerae. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1159986. [PMID: 37089576 PMCID: PMC10113495 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1159986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, DegS protease functions as an activating factor of the σE envelope stress response system, which ultimately activates the transcription of stress response genes in the cytoplasm. On the basis of high-throughput RNA sequencing, we have previously found that degS knockout inhibits the expression of flagellum synthesis- and chemotaxis-related genes, thereby indicating that DegS may be involved in the regulation of V. cholerae motility. In this study, we examined the relationships between DegS and motility in V. cholerae. Swimming motility and chemotaxis assays revealed that degS or rpoE deletion promotes a substantial reduction in the motility and chemotaxis of V. cholerae, whereas these activities were restored in ΔdegS::degS and ΔdegSΔrseA strains, indicating that DegS is partially dependent on σE to positively regulate V. cholerae activity. Gene-act network analysis revealed that the cAMP-CRP-RpoS signaling pathway, which plays an important role in flagellar synthesis, is significantly inhibited in ΔdegS mutants, whereas in response to the overexpression of cyaA/crp and rpoS in the ΔdegS strain, the motility and chemotaxis of the ΔdegS + cyaA/crp and ΔdegS + rpoS strains were partially restored compared with the ΔdegS strain. We further demonstrated that transcription levels of the flagellar regulatory gene flhF are regulated by DegS via the cAMP-CRP-RpoS signaling pathway. Overexpression of the flhF gene in the ΔdegS strain partially restored motility and chemotaxis. In addition, suckling mouse intestinal colonization experiments indicated that the ΔdegS and ΔrpoE strains were characterized by the poor colonization of mouse intestines, whereas colonization efficacy was restored in the ΔdegSΔrseA, ΔdegS + cyaA/crp, ΔdegS + rpoS, and ΔdegS + flhF strains. Collectively, our findings indicate that DegS regulates the motility and chemotaxis of V. cholerae via the cAMP-CRP-RpoS-FlhF pathway, thereby influencing the colonization of suckling mouse intestines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Zou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Kaiying Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Jiajun Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Huifang Lu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Meirong Huang
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Guangli Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Xun Min
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
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11
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Deletion of the cheZ gene results in the loss of swimming ability and the decrease of adhesion ability to Caco-2 cells in Escherichia coli Nissle 1917. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2022; 68:395-402. [DOI: 10.1007/s12223-022-01019-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Gupta R, Yuan J, Lele PP. Bacterial Proprioception: Can a Bacterium Sense Its Movement? Front Microbiol 2022; 13:928408. [PMID: 35875555 PMCID: PMC9302961 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.928408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of the bacterial flagellum gave rise to motility and repurposing of a signaling network, now termed the chemotaxis network, enabled biasing of cell movements. This made it possible for the bacterium to seek out favorable chemical environments. To enable chemotaxis, the chemotaxis network sensitively detects extracellular chemical stimuli and appropriately modulates flagellar functions. Additionally, the flagellar motor itself is capable of detecting mechanical stimuli and adapts its structure and function in response, likely triggering a transition from planktonic to surface-associated lifestyles. Recent work has shown a link between the flagellar motor's response to mechanical stimuli and the chemotactic output. Here, we elaborate on this link and discuss how it likely helps the cell sense and adapt to changes in its swimming speeds in different environments. We discuss the mechanism whereby the motor precisely tunes its chemotaxis output under different mechanical loads, analogous to proprioception in higher order organisms. We speculate on the roles bacterial proprioception might play in a variety of phenomena including the transition to surface-associated lifestyles such as swarming and biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachit Gupta
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Junhua Yuan
- Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Pushkar P Lele
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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13
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Li J, Chen J, Wang L, Lin Y, Zhang X, Liu J, Wang F. Characterization of the response of
Escherichia coli
to
l
‐fucose in bacterial swimming motility. J Basic Microbiol 2022; 62:584-592. [DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202200054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jingyun Li
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, School of Food and Biological Engineering Hefei University of Technology Baohe District, Hefei Anhui PR China
| | - Juan Chen
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, School of Food and Biological Engineering Hefei University of Technology Baohe District, Hefei Anhui PR China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, School of Food and Biological Engineering Hefei University of Technology Baohe District, Hefei Anhui PR China
| | - Yan Lin
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, School of Food and Biological Engineering Hefei University of Technology Baohe District, Hefei Anhui PR China
| | - Xian Zhang
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, School of Food and Biological Engineering Hefei University of Technology Baohe District, Hefei Anhui PR China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, School of Food and Biological Engineering Hefei University of Technology Baohe District, Hefei Anhui PR China
| | - Fangbin Wang
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, School of Food and Biological Engineering Hefei University of Technology Baohe District, Hefei Anhui PR China
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14
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Pérez‐Rodríguez S, García‐Aznar JM, Gonzalo‐Asensio J. Microfluidic devices for studying bacterial taxis, drug testing and biofilm formation. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 15:395-414. [PMID: 33645897 PMCID: PMC8867988 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Some bacteria have coevolved to establish symbiotic or pathogenic relationships with plants, animals or humans. With human association, the bacteria can cause a variety of diseases. Thus, understanding bacterial phenotypes at the single-cell level is essential to develop beneficial applications. Traditional microbiological techniques have provided great knowledge about these organisms; however, they have also shown limitations, such as difficulties in culturing some bacteria, the heterogeneity of bacterial populations or difficulties in recreating some physical or biological conditions. Microfluidics is an emerging technique that complements current biological assays. Since microfluidics works with micrometric volumes, it allows fine-tuning control of the test conditions. Moreover, it allows the recruitment of three-dimensional (3D) conditions, in which several processes can be integrated and gradients can be generated, thus imitating physiological 3D environments. Here, we review some key microfluidic-based studies describing the effects of different microenvironmental conditions on bacterial response, biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance. For this aim, we present different studies classified into six groups according to the design of the microfluidic device: (i) linear channels, (ii) mixing channels, (iii) multiple floors, (iv) porous devices, (v) topographic devices and (vi) droplet microfluidics. Hence, we highlight the potential and possibilities of using microfluidic-based technology to study bacterial phenotypes in comparison with traditional methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Pérez‐Rodríguez
- Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A)Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of ZaragozaZaragoza50018Spain
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE)IIS‐AragónZaragozaSpain
- Grupo de Genética de MicobacteriasDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of ZaragozaIIS AragónZaragoza50009Spain
| | - José Manuel García‐Aznar
- Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A)Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of ZaragozaZaragoza50018Spain
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE)IIS‐AragónZaragozaSpain
| | - Jesús Gonzalo‐Asensio
- Grupo de Genética de MicobacteriasDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of ZaragozaIIS AragónZaragoza50009Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades RespiratoriasInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadrid28029Spain
- Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI)Zaragoza50018Spain
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15
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Surveying a Swarm: Experimental Techniques to Establish and Examine Bacterial Collective Motion. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 88:e0185321. [PMID: 34878816 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01853-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival and successful spread of many bacterial species hinges on their mode of motility. One of the most distinct of these is swarming, a collective form of motility where a dense consortium of bacteria employ flagella to propel themselves across a solid surface. Surface environments pose unique challenges, derived from higher surface friction/tension and insufficient hydration. Bacteria have adapted by deploying an array of mechanisms to overcome these challenges. Beyond allowing bacteria to colonize new terrain in the absence of bulk liquid, swarming also bestows faster speeds and enhanced antibiotic resistance to the collective. These crucial attributes contribute to the dissemination, and in some cases pathogenicity, of an array of bacteria. This mini-review highlights; 1) aspects of swarming motility that differentiates it from other methods of bacterial locomotion. 2) Facilitatory mechanisms deployed by diverse bacteria to overcome different surface challenges. 3) The (often difficult) approaches required to cultivate genuine swarmers. 4) The methods available to observe and assess the various facets of this collective motion, as well as the features exhibited by the population as a whole.
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16
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Colin R, Ni B, Laganenka L, Sourjik V. Multiple functions of flagellar motility and chemotaxis in bacterial physiology. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuab038. [PMID: 34227665 PMCID: PMC8632791 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most swimming bacteria are capable of following gradients of nutrients, signaling molecules and other environmental factors that affect bacterial physiology. This tactic behavior became one of the most-studied model systems for signal transduction and quantitative biology, and underlying molecular mechanisms are well characterized in Escherichia coli and several other model bacteria. In this review, we focus primarily on less understood aspect of bacterial chemotaxis, namely its physiological relevance for individual bacterial cells and for bacterial populations. As evident from multiple recent studies, even for the same bacterial species flagellar motility and chemotaxis might serve multiple roles, depending on the physiological and environmental conditions. Among these, finding sources of nutrients and more generally locating niches that are optimal for growth appear to be one of the major functions of bacterial chemotaxis, which could explain many chemoeffector preferences as well as flagellar gene regulation. Chemotaxis might also generally enhance efficiency of environmental colonization by motile bacteria, which involves intricate interplay between individual and collective behaviors and trade-offs between growth and motility. Finally, motility and chemotaxis play multiple roles in collective behaviors of bacteria including swarming, biofilm formation and autoaggregation, as well as in their interactions with animal and plant hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remy Colin
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 16, Marburg D-35043, Germany
| | - Bin Ni
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 16, Marburg D-35043, Germany
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan Xilu No. 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Leanid Laganenka
- Institute of Microbiology, D-BIOL, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Victor Sourjik
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 16, Marburg D-35043, Germany
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17
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Competitive Coherence Generates Qualia in Bacteria and Other Living Systems. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10101034. [PMID: 34681133 PMCID: PMC8533353 DOI: 10.3390/biology10101034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The relevance of bacteria to subjective experiences or qualia is underappreciated. Here, I make four proposals. Firstly, living systems traverse sequences of active states that determine their behaviour; these states result from competitive coherence, which depends on connectivity-based competition between a Next process and a Now process, whereby elements in the active state at time n+1 are chosen between the elements in the active state at time n and those elements in the developing n+1 state. Secondly, bacteria should help us link the mental to the physical world given that bacteria were here first, are highly complex, influence animal behaviour and dominate the Earth. Thirdly, the operation of competitive coherence to generate active states in bacteria, brains and other living systems is inseparable from qualia. Fourthly, these qualia become particularly important to the generation of active states in the highest levels of living systems, namely, the ecosystem and planetary levels.
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18
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Abd El Ghany M, Barquist L, Clare S, Brandt C, Mayho M, Joffre´ E, Sjöling Å, Turner AK, Klena JD, Kingsley RA, Hill-Cawthorne GA, Dougan G, Pickard D. Functional analysis of colonization factor antigen I positive enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli identifies genes implicated in survival in water and host colonization. Microb Genom 2021; 7:000554. [PMID: 34110281 PMCID: PMC8461466 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) expressing the colonization pili CFA/I are common causes of diarrhoeal infections in humans. Here, we use a combination of transposon mutagenesis and transcriptomic analysis to identify genes and pathways that contribute to ETEC persistence in water environments and colonization of a mammalian host. ETEC persisting in water exhibit a distinct RNA expression profile from those growing in richer media. Multiple pathways were identified that contribute to water survival, including lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and stress response regulons. The analysis also indicated that ETEC growing in vivo in mice encounter a bottleneck driving down the diversity of colonizing ETEC populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moataz Abd El Ghany
- The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- The Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Simon Clare
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cordelia Brandt
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthew Mayho
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Enrique Joffre´
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Åsa Sjöling
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A. Keith Turner
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - John D. Klena
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert A. Kingsley
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Gordon Dougan
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Derek Pickard
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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19
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Wang Q, Wu H. Mathematical modeling of chemotaxis guided amoeboid cell swimming. Phys Biol 2021; 18. [PMID: 33853049 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abf7d8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Cells and microorganisms adopt various strategies to migrate in response to different environmental stimuli. To date, many modeling research has focused on the crawling-basedDictyostelium discoideum(Dd) cells migration induced by chemotaxis, yet recent experimental results reveal that even without adhesion or contact to a substrate, Dd cells can still swim to follow chemoattractant signals. In this paper, we develop a modeling framework to investigate the chemotaxis induced amoeboid cell swimming dynamics. A minimal swimming system consists of one deformable Dd amoeboid cell and a dilute suspension of bacteria, and the bacteria produce chemoattractant signals that attract the Dd cell. We use themathematical amoeba modelto generate Dd cell deformation and solve the resulting low Reynolds number flows, and use a moving mesh based finite volume method to solve the reaction-diffusion-convection equation. Using the computational model, we show that chemotaxis guides a swimming Dd cell to follow and catch bacteria, while on the other hand, bacterial rheotaxis may help the bacteria to escape from the predator Dd cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qixuan Wang
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States of America.,Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States of America
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States of America
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20
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Eugenol, citral, and hexanal, alone or in combination with heat, affect viability, biofilm formation, and swarming on Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Food Sci Biotechnol 2021; 30:599-607. [PMID: 33936852 DOI: 10.1007/s10068-021-00887-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains are pathogenic for humans and cause mild to severe illnesses. In this study, the antimicrobial effect of citral, eugenol, and hexanal in combination with heat shock (HS) was evaluated in terms of the growth, biofilm formation, swarming, and expression of virulence genes of STEC serotypes (O157:H7, O103, O111, and O26). Eugenol was the most effective compound against the growth of E. coli strains (MBC = 0.58 to 0.73 mg/mL), followed by citral (MBC = 0.86 to 1.26 mg/mL) and hexanal (MBC = 2.24 to 2.52 mg/mL). Biofilm formation and swarming motility have great variability between STEC strains. Natural compounds-alone or combined with HS-inhibited biofilm formation; however, swarming motility was induced by most treatments. The expression of the studied genes during biofilm formation and swarming under natural antimicrobials was affected but not in a uniform pattern. These treatments could be used to control contamination of STEC and inhibit biofilm formation.
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21
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Chen W, Mani N, Karani H, Li H, Mani S, Tang JX. Confinement discerns swarmers from planktonic bacteria. eLife 2021; 10:e64176. [PMID: 33884952 PMCID: PMC8112864 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Powered by flagella, many bacterial species exhibit collective motion on a solid surface commonly known as swarming. As a natural example of active matter, swarming is also an essential biological phenotype associated with virulence, chemotaxis, and host pathogenesis. Physical changes like cell elongation and hyper-flagellation have been shown to accompany the swarming phenotype. Less studied, however, are the contrasts of collective motion between the swarming cells and their counterpart planktonic cells of comparable cell density. Here, we show that confining bacterial movement in circular microwells allows distinguishing bacterial swarming from collective swimming. On a soft agar plate, a novel bacterial strain Enterobacter sp. SM3 in swarming and planktonic states exhibited different motion patterns when confined to circular microwells of a specific range of sizes. When the confinement diameter was between 40 μm and 90 μm, swarming SM3 formed a single-swirl motion pattern in the microwells whereas planktonic SM3 formed multiple swirls. Similar differential behavior is observed across several other species of gram-negative bacteria. We also observed 'rafting behavior' of swarming bacteria upon dilution. We hypothesize that the rafting behavior might account for the motion pattern difference. We were able to predict these experimental features via numerical simulations where swarming cells are modeled with stronger cell-cell alignment interaction. Our experimental design using PDMS microchip disk arrays enabled us to observe bacterial swarming on murine intestinal surface, suggesting a new method for characterizing bacterial swarming under complex environments, such as in polymicrobial niches, and for in vivo swarming exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijie Chen
- Department of Physics, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Neha Mani
- Department of Physics, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Hamid Karani
- Department of Physics, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Sridhar Mani
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Jay X Tang
- Department of Physics, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
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22
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Ganusova EE, Vo LT, Mukherjee T, Alexandre G. Multiple CheY Proteins Control Surface-Associated Lifestyles of Azospirillum brasilense. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:664826. [PMID: 33968002 PMCID: PMC8100600 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.664826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial chemotaxis is the directed movement of motile bacteria in gradients of chemoeffectors. This behavior is mediated by dedicated signal transduction pathways that couple environment sensing with changes in the direction of rotation of flagellar motors to ultimately affect the motility pattern. Azospirillum brasilense uses two distinct chemotaxis pathways, named Che1 and Che4, and four different response regulators (CheY1, CheY4, CheY6, and CheY7) to control the swimming pattern during chemotaxis. Each of the CheY homologs was shown to differentially affect the rotational bias of the polar flagellum and chemotaxis. The role, if any, of these CheY homologs in swarming, which depends on a distinct lateral flagella system or in attachment is not known. Here, we characterize CheY homologs’ roles in swimming, swarming, and attachment to abiotic and biotic (wheat roots) surfaces and biofilm formation. We show that while strains lacking CheY1 and CheY6 are still able to navigate air gradients, strains lacking CheY4 and CheY7 are chemotaxis null. Expansion of swarming colonies in the presence of gradients requires chemotaxis. The induction of swarming depends on CheY4 and CheY7, but the cells’ organization as dense clusters in productive swarms appear to depend on functional CheYs but not chemotaxis per se. Similarly, functional CheY homologs but not chemotaxis, contribute to attachment to both abiotic and root surfaces as well as to biofilm formation, although these effects are likely dependent on additional cell surface properties such as adhesiveness. Collectively, our data highlight distinct roles for multiple CheY homologs and for chemotaxis on swarming and attachment to surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena E Ganusova
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Lam T Vo
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Tanmoy Mukherjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Gladys Alexandre
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
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23
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Nakamura K, Kobayashi TJ. Connection between the Bacterial Chemotactic Network and Optimal Filtering. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:128102. [PMID: 33834835 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.128102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The chemotactic network of Escherichia coli has been studied extensively both biophysically and information theoretically. Nevertheless, connection between these two aspects is still elusive. In this work, we report such a connection. We derive an optimal filtering dynamics under the assumption that E. coli's sensory system optimally infers the binary information whether it is swimming up or down along an exponential ligand gradient from noisy sensory signals. Then we show that a standard biochemical model of the chemotactic network is mathematically equivalent to this information-theoretically optimal dynamics. Moreover, we demonstrate that an experimentally observed nonlinear response relation can be reproduced from the optimal dynamics. These results suggest that the biochemical network of E. coli chemotaxis is designed to optimally extract the binary information along an exponential gradient in a noisy condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kento Nakamura
- Department of Mathematical Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
| | - Tetsuya J Kobayashi
- Department of Mathematical Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
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24
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Tian M, Zhang C, Zhang R, Yuan J. Collective motion enhances chemotaxis in a two-dimensional bacterial swarm. Biophys J 2021; 120:1615-1624. [PMID: 33636168 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In a dilute liquid environment in which cell-cell interaction is negligible, flagellated bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, perform chemotaxis by biased random walks alternating between run-and-tumble. In a two-dimensional crowded environment, such as a bacterial swarm, the typical behavior of run-and-tumble is absent, and this raises the question whether and how bacteria can perform chemotaxis in a swarm. Here, by examining the chemotactic behavior as a function of the cell density, we showed that chemotaxis is surprisingly enhanced because of cell crowding in a bacterial swarm, and this enhancement is correlated with increase in the degree of cell body alignment. Cells tend to form clusters that move collectively in a swarm with increased effective run length, and we showed analytically that this resulted in increased drift velocity toward attractants. We also explained the enhancement by stochastically simulating bacterial chemotaxis in a swarm. We found that cell crowding in a swarm enhances chemotaxis if the cell-cell interactions used in the simulation induce cell-cell alignment, but it impedes chemotaxis if the interactions are collisions that randomize cell moving direction. Therefore, collective motion in a bacterial swarm enhances chemotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maojin Tian
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Rongjing Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
| | - Junhua Yuan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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25
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Ahmad F, Zhu D, Sun J. Bacterial chemotaxis: a way forward to aromatic compounds biodegradation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2020; 32:52. [DOI: 10.1186/s12302-020-00329-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
AbstractWorldwide industrial development has released hazardous polycyclic aromatic compounds into the environment. These pollutants need to be removed to improve the quality of the environment. Chemotaxis mechanism has increased the bioavailability of these hydrophobic compounds to microorganisms. The mechanism, however, is poorly understood at the ligand and chemoreceptor interface. Literature is unable to furnish a compiled review of already published data on up-to-date research on molecular aspects of chemotaxis mechanism, ligand and receptor-binding mechanism, and downstream signaling machinery. Moreover, chemotaxis-linked biodegradation of aromatic compounds is required to understand the chemotaxis role in biodegradation better. To fill this knowledge gap, the current review is an attempt to cover PAHs occurrence, chemical composition, and potential posed risks to humankind. The review will cover the aspects of microbial signaling mechanism, the structural diversity of methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins at the molecular level, discuss chemotaxis mechanism role in biodegradation of aromatic compounds in model bacterial genera, and finally conclude with the potential of bacterial chemotaxis for aromatics biodegradation.
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26
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Agmon E, Spangler RK. A Multi-Scale Approach to Modeling E. coli Chemotaxis. ENTROPY 2020; 22:e22101101. [PMID: 33286869 PMCID: PMC7597207 DOI: 10.3390/e22101101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The degree to which we can understand the multi-scale organization of cellular life is tied to how well our models can represent this organization and the processes that drive its evolution. This paper uses Vivarium-an engine for composing heterogeneous computational biology models into integrated, multi-scale simulations. Vivarium's approach is demonstrated by combining several sub-models of biophysical processes into a model of chemotactic E. coli that exchange molecules with their environment, express the genes required for chemotaxis, swim, grow, and divide. This model is developed incrementally, highlighting cross-compartment mechanisms that link E. coli to its environment, with models for: (1) metabolism and transport, with transport moving nutrients across the membrane boundary and metabolism converting them to useful metabolites, (2) transcription, translation, complexation, and degradation, with stochastic mechanisms that read real gene sequence data and consume base pairs and ATP to make proteins and complexes, and (3) the activity of flagella and chemoreceptors, which together support navigation in the environment.
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27
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Optogenetic control of the lac operon for bacterial chemical and protein production. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 17:71-79. [PMID: 32895498 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0639-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Control of the lac operon with isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) has been used to regulate gene expression in Escherichia coli for countless applications, including metabolic engineering and recombinant protein production. However, optogenetics offers unique capabilities, such as easy tunability, reversibility, dynamic induction strength and spatial control, that are difficult to obtain with chemical inducers. We have developed a series of circuits for optogenetic regulation of the lac operon, which we call OptoLAC, to control gene expression from various IPTG-inducible promoters using only blue light. Applying them to metabolic engineering improves mevalonate and isobutanol production by 24% and 27% respectively, compared to IPTG induction, in light-controlled fermentations scalable to at least two-litre bioreactors. Furthermore, OptoLAC circuits enable control of recombinant protein production, reaching yields comparable to IPTG induction but with easier tunability of expression. OptoLAC circuits are potentially useful to confer light control over other cell functions originally designed to be IPTG-inducible.
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28
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Khan F, Tabassum N, Pham DTN, Oloketuyi SF, Kim YM. Molecules involved in motility regulation in Escherichia coli cells: a review. BIOFOULING 2020; 36:889-908. [PMID: 33028083 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2020.1826939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The initial colonization of the host organism by commensal, probiotic, and pathogenic Escherichia coli strains is an important step in the development of infections and biofilms. Sensing and colonization of host cell surfaces are governed by flagellar and fimbriae/pili appendages, respectively. Biofilm formation confers great advantages on pathogenic E. coli cells such as protection against the host immune system, antimicrobial agents, and several environmental stress factors. The transition from planktonic to sessile physiological states involves several signaling cascades and factors responsible for the regulation of flagellar motility in E. coli cells. These regulatory factors have thus become important targets to control pathogenicity. Hence, attenuation of flagellar motility is considered a potential therapy against pathogenic E. coli. The present review describes signaling pathways and proteins involved in direct or indirect regulation of flagellar motility. Furthermore, application strategies for antimotility natural or synthetic compounds are discussed also.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fazlurrahman Khan
- Institute of Food Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Nazia Tabassum
- Industrial Convergence Bionix Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Dung Thuy Nguyen Pham
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Young-Mog Kim
- Institute of Food Science, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
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29
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Abstract
Bacteria within a swarm move characteristically in packs, displaying an intricate swirling motion in which hundreds of dynamic rafts continuously form and dissociate as the swarm colonizes an increasing expanse of territory. The demonstrated property of E. coli to reduce its tumble bias and hence increase its run duration during swarming is expected to maintain and promote side-by-side alignment and cohesion within the bacterial packs. In this study, we observed a similar low tumble bias in five different bacterial species, both Gram positive and Gram negative, each inhabiting a unique habitat and posing unique problems to our health. The unanimous display of an altered run-tumble bias in swarms of all species examined in this investigation suggests that this behavioral adaptation is crucial for swarming. Many bacteria use flagellum-driven motility to swarm or move collectively over a surface terrain. Bacterial adaptations for swarming can include cell elongation, hyperflagellation, recruitment of special stator proteins, and surfactant secretion, among others. We recently demonstrated another swarming adaptation in Escherichia coli, wherein the chemotaxis pathway is remodeled to decrease tumble bias (increase run durations), with running speeds increased as well. We show here that the modification of motility parameters during swarming is not unique to E. coli but is shared by a diverse group of bacteria we examined—Proteus mirabilis, Serratia marcescens, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa—suggesting that increasing run durations and speeds are a cornerstone of swarming.
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30
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Partridge JD, Harshey RM. Investigating Flagella-Driven Motility in Escherichia coli by Applying Three Established Techniques in a Series. J Vis Exp 2020. [PMID: 32449734 DOI: 10.3791/61364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Motility is crucial to the survival and success of many bacterial species. Many methodologies exist to exploit motility to understand signaling pathways, to elucidate the function and assembly of flagellar parts, and to examine and understand patterns of movement. Here we demonstrate a combination of three of these methodologies. Motility in soft agar is the oldest, offering a strong selection for isolating gain-of-function suppressor mutations in motility-impaired strains, where motility is restored through a second mutation. The cell-tethering technique, first employed to demonstrate the rotary nature of the flagellar motor, can be used to assess the impact of signaling effectors on the motor speed and its ability to switch rotational direction. The "border-crossing" assay is more recent, where swimming bacteria can be primed to transition into moving collectively as a swarm. In combination, these protocols represent a systematic and powerful approach to identifying components of the motility machinery, and to characterizing their role in different facets of swimming and swarming. They can be easily adapted to study motility in other bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rasika M Harshey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin;
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Frutos-Grilo E, Marsal M, Irazoki O, Barbé J, Campoy S. The Interaction of RecA With Both CheA and CheW Is Required for Chemotaxis. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:583. [PMID: 32318049 PMCID: PMC7154110 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica is the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness. As in other microorganisms, chemotaxis affords key physiological benefits, including enhanced access to growth substrates, but also plays an important role in infection and disease. Chemoreceptor signaling core complexes, consisting of CheA, CheW and methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), modulate the switching of bacterial flagella rotation that drives cell motility. These complexes, through the formation of heterohexameric rings composed of CheA and CheW, form large clusters at the cell poles. RecA plays a key role in polar cluster formation, impairing the assembly when the SOS response is activated. In this study, we determined that RecA protein interacts with both CheW and CheA. The binding of these proteins to RecA is needed for wild-type polar cluster formation. In silico models showed that one RecA molecule, attached to one signaling unit, fits within a CheA-CheW ring without interfering with the complex formation or array assembly. Activation of the SOS response is followed by an increase in RecA, which rises up the number of signaling complexes associated with this protein. This suggests the presence of allosteric inhibition in the CheA-CheW interaction and thus of heterohexameric ring formation, impairing the array assembly. STED imaging demonstrated that all core unit components (CheA, CheW, and MPCs) have the same subcellular location as RecA. Activation of the SOS response promotes the RecA distribution along the cell instead of being at the cell poles. CheA- and CheW- RecA interactions are also crucial for chemotaxis, which is maintained when the SOS response is induced and the signaling units are dispersed. Our results provide new molecular-level insights into the function of RecA in chemoreceptor clustering and chemotaxis determining that the impaired chemoreceptor clustering not only inhibits swarming but also modulates chemotaxis in SOS-induced cells, thereby modifying bacterial motility in the presence of DNA-damaging compounds, such as antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Frutos-Grilo
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Marsal
- ICFO-Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oihane Irazoki
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Barbé
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Campoy
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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