Chemotaxis of Pseudomonas putida F1 to Alcohols Is Mediated by the Carboxylic Acid Receptor McfP

Alcohols, released as fermentation products and produced as intermediates in the catabolism of many organic compounds, including hydrocarbons and fatty acids, are common components of the microbial food web in soil and sediments. Although they serve as good carbon and energy sources for many soil bacteria, alcohols have primarily been reported to be repellents rather than attractants for motile bacteria. Little is known about how alcohols are sensed by microbes in the environment. We report here that catabolizablen -alcohols with linear chains of up to 12 carbons serve as attractants for the soil bacteriumPseudomonas putida , and rather than being detected directly, alcohols appear to be catabolized to acetate, which is then sensed by a specific cell-surface chemoreceptor protein.