Open AccessAnalysis of energy sources for M ycoplasma penetrans gliding motility
Author(s) -
Jurkovic Dominika A.,
Hughes Michael R.,
Balish Mitchell F.
Publication year - 2013
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 - 10.1111/1574-6968.12026
Subject(s) - motility , gliding motility , biophysics , pathogen , biology , chemiosmosis , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biochemistry , atp synthase , enzyme
M ycoplasma penetrans , a potential human pathogen found mainly in HIV ‐infected individuals, uses a tip structure for both adherence and gliding motility. To improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism of M . penetrans gliding motility, we used chemical inhibitors of energy sources associated with motility of other organisms to determine which of these is used by M . penetrans and also tested whether gliding speed responded to temperature and p H . M ycoplasma penetrans gliding motility was not eliminated in the presence of a proton motive force inhibitor, a sodium motive force inhibitor, or an agent that depletes cellular ATP . At near‐neutral p H , gliding speed increased as temperature increased. The absence of a clear chemical energy source for gliding motility and a positive correlation between speed and temperature suggest that energy derived from heat provides the major source of power for the gliding motor of M . penetrans .