Computerized analysis of chemotaxis at different stages of bacterial growth.
Chemotactic behavior as a function of growth stage in an Escherichia coli strain commonly used for chemotaxis studies was characterized using computerized image analysis. The response and adaptation to saturating, step-like additions of the attractant L-aspartate were measured. Steady-state average tumbling frequency and adaptation time increased nearly twofold during logarithmic phase. In contrast, precision of adaptation, P, defined as the ratio between steady-state tumbling frequencies in the presence and absence of attractant, appeared to be constant throughout growth (P = 1.0 +/- 0.2). The variation of tumble duration over growth was consistent with a hydrodynamic mechanism for tumble termination.
Staropoli
J F
JF
Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
Alon
U
U
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018715:Microscopy, Video / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
D001426:Bacterial Proteins