Open AccessAsymmetric swimming pattern of Vibrio alginolyticus cells with single polar flagella
Author(s) -
Kudo Seishi,
Imai Norio,
Nishitoba Megumi,
Sugiyama Shigeru,
Magariyama Yukio
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2004.11.007
Subject(s) - vibrio alginolyticus , flagellum , chemotaxis , bacteria , solid surface , biology , vibrio , arc (geometry) , polar , microbiology and biotechnology , marine bacteriophage , chemistry , physics , chemical physics , receptor , biochemistry , geometry , mathematics , genetics , astronomy
The swimming pattern of bacteria with single polar flagella has usually been described as “run and reverse”. We observed the swimming traces of monotrichously flagellated Vibrio alginolyticus cells and examined the relationship between the swimming pattern and the sense of progress. Swimming in regions other than a solid surface was confirmed to be linear run and reverse. Near a solid surface, the traces consisted of “run and arc”; the cells were found to curve sharply during backward swimming, while they progressed linearly during forward swimming. The “run and arc” swimming pattern may play an important role in the chemotaxis strategy of marine bacteria at solid surfaces.