The role of motility and chemotaxis in the bacterial colonization of protected surfaces

Scientific Reports
Einat TamarAdy Vaknin

Abstract

Internal epithelial surfaces in humans are both oxygenated and physically protected by a few hundred microns thick hydrogel mucosal layer, conditions that might support bacterial aerotaxis. However, the potential role of aerotaxis in crossing such a thin hydrogel layer is not clear. Here, we used a new setup to study the potential role of motility and chemotaxis in the bacterial colonization of surfaces covered by a thin hydrogel layer and subjected to a vertical oxygen gradient. Using the bacterium Escherichia coli, we show that both non-motile and motile-but-non-chemotactic bacteria could barely reach the surface. However, an acquired mutation in the non-chemotactic bacteria that altered their inherent swimming behavior led to a critical enhancement of surface colonization. Most chemotactic strains accumulated within the bulk of the hydrogel layer, except for the MG1655 strain, which showed a unique tendency to accumulate directly at the oxygenated surface and thus exhibited distinctly enhanced colonization. Even after a long period of bacterial growth, non-motile bacteria could not colonize the hydrogel. Thus, switching motility, which can be spontaneously acquired or altered in vivo, is critical for the colonization of such...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 7, 2017·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jerko RoskoTeuta Pilizota
Aug 8, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Abhishek ShrivastavaHoward C Berg
Jul 10, 2019·Journal of Bacteriology·Darren J ParkerGene-Wei Li
Jun 24, 2020·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Ben RhodelandTristan Ursell
May 1, 2019·Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology·Paulina JacekStanisław Bielecki
Aug 6, 2020·Frontiers in Microbiology·Eva Arrebola, Francisco M Cazorla
Jul 21, 2017·NPJ Systems Biology and Applications·Filippo MenolascinaRoman Stocker
Sep 17, 2020·Soft Matter·Narendra K Dewangan, Jacinta C Conrad
Mar 10, 2021·Journal of Basic Microbiology·Richa Karmakar
Mar 30, 2021·Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal·Carolina Gutiérrez-ChávezBelinda C Ferrari
Jun 18, 2021·Nature Communications·Jen NguyenRoman Stocker
Jul 7, 2021·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Remy ColinVictor Sourjik
Nov 14, 2021·Scientific Reports·Emad PirhadiXin Yong

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
fluorescence microscopy
motility studies
Whole Genome Sequencing

Software Mentioned

SAM
BWA
Galaxy

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