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The motile and tactic behaviour of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in anaerobic environments
Author(s) -
Armitage Judith P.,
Evans Michael C.W.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(83)80259-2
Subject(s) - chemotaxis , motility , anaerobic exercise , pseudomonas aeruginosa , bacteria , membrane potential , anaerobic bacteria , biology , membrane , microbiology and biotechnology , chemiosmosis , metabolism , chemistry , biochemistry , atp synthase , physiology , enzyme , genetics , receptor
ATP generated by the anaerobic metabolism of L‐arginine in Pseudomonas aeruginosa was used to maintain the membrane potential. Although both the ATP concentration and membrane potential were lower than in aerobically incubated bacteria, motility and chemotaxis were almost normal. Venturicidin stopped anaerobic motility by abolishing the membrane potential. The addition of venturicidin to aerobic bacteria caused an increase in the membrane potential, but a decrease in internal ATP concentration, resulting in bacteria which were motile but non‐chemotactic. The membrane potential was the only requirement for continued motility but ATP was required in addition for chemotaxis.