A biochemical mechanism for bacterial chemotaxis

George W. Ordaq; Russell B. Fields

doi:10.1016/0022-5193(77)90100-X

A biochemical mechanism for bacterial chemotaxis

George W. Ordaq, Russell B. Fields

Biochemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Peritrichous bacteria alternately swim and tumble (thrash about with little forward progress). By selective modulation of tumbling frequency, these bacteria carry out chemotaxis, which is migration to higher concentrations of attractant or lower concentrations of repellent. A model for chemotaxis is presented in which tumbling frequency is regulated by concentration of Ca²⁺ ion at the switch that controls tumbling and swimming. Attractants cause decreased levels of free cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ ion due to binding of Ca²⁺ ion by specific proteins. This Ca²⁺ ion is released when these proteins become methylated. An alternative model. involving a cytoplasmic metabolite "compound X", is discussed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	491-500
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Theoretical Biology
Volume	68
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5193(77)90100-X
State	Published - Oct 21 1977

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Statistics and Probability
Modeling and Simulation
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Immunology and Microbiology
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Applied Mathematics

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10.1016/0022-5193(77)90100-X

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abstract = "Peritrichous bacteria alternately swim and tumble (thrash about with little forward progress). By selective modulation of tumbling frequency, these bacteria carry out chemotaxis, which is migration to higher concentrations of attractant or lower concentrations of repellent. A model for chemotaxis is presented in which tumbling frequency is regulated by concentration of Ca2+ ion at the switch that controls tumbling and swimming. Attractants cause decreased levels of free cytoplasmic Ca2+ ion due to binding of Ca2+ ion by specific proteins. This Ca2+ ion is released when these proteins become methylated. An alternative model. involving a cytoplasmic metabolite {"}compound X{"}, is discussed.",

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AB - Peritrichous bacteria alternately swim and tumble (thrash about with little forward progress). By selective modulation of tumbling frequency, these bacteria carry out chemotaxis, which is migration to higher concentrations of attractant or lower concentrations of repellent. A model for chemotaxis is presented in which tumbling frequency is regulated by concentration of Ca2+ ion at the switch that controls tumbling and swimming. Attractants cause decreased levels of free cytoplasmic Ca2+ ion due to binding of Ca2+ ion by specific proteins. This Ca2+ ion is released when these proteins become methylated. An alternative model. involving a cytoplasmic metabolite "compound X", is discussed.

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A biochemical mechanism for bacterial chemotaxis

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