On the mysterious propulsion of Synechococcus.

PloS One
Kurt Ehlers, George Oster

Abstract

We propose a model for the self-propulsion of the marine bacterium Synechococcus utilizing a continuous looped helical track analogous to that found in Myxobacteria [1]. In our model cargo-carrying protein motors, driven by proton-motive force, move along a continuous looped helical track. The movement of the cargo creates surface distortions in the form of small amplitude traveling ridges along the S-layer above the helical track. The resulting fluid motion adjacent to the helical ribbon provides the propulsive thrust. A variation on the helical rotor model of [1] allows the motors to be anchored to the peptidoglycan layer, where they drive rotation of the track creating traveling helical waves along the S-layer. We derive expressions relating the swimming speed to the amplitude, wavelength, and velocity of the surface waves induced by the helical rotor, and show that they fall in reasonable ranges to explain the velocity and rotation rate of swimming Synechococcus.

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Citations

Feb 22, 2014·Current Biology : CB·Beiyan NanGeorge Oster
Apr 12, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Beiyan NanDavid R Zusman
Oct 28, 2017·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Annegret Wilde, Conrad W Mullineaux
Jan 21, 2020·Genes to Cells : Devoted to Molecular & Cellular Mechanisms·Makoto MiyataKen-Ichi Wakabayashi
Feb 10, 2016·ELife·Nils SchuergersAnnegret Wilde
Dec 23, 2020·Life·Benjamin L SpringsteinKarina Stucken
Jun 11, 2021·PloS One·Marcos F Velho RodriguesEric Lauga
Sep 23, 2021·Nature Reviews. Microbiology·Navish Wadhwa, Howard C Berg

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