title: Chemotaxis Control of Transient Cell Aggregation.
abstract: Chemotaxis affords motile cells the ability to rapidly respond to environmental challenges by navigating cells to niches favoring growth. Such a property results from the activities of dedicated signal transduction systems on the motility apparatus, such as flagella, type IV pili, and gliding machineries. Once cells have reached a niche with favorable conditions, they often stop moving and aggregate into complex communities termed biofilms. An intermediate and reversible stage that precedes commitment to permanent adhesion often includes transient cell-cell contacts between motile cells. Chemotaxis signaling has been implicated in modulating the transient aggregation of motile cells. Evidence further indicates that chemotaxis-dependent transient cell aggregation events are behavioral responses to changes in metabolic cues that temporarily prohibit permanent attachment by maintaining motility and chemotaxis. This minireview discusses a few examples illustrating the role of chemotaxis signaling in the initiation of cell-cell contacts in bacteria moving via flagella, pili, or gliding.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Department, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA galexan2@utk.edu.
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alexandre
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D018441:Biofilms; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement