Bacteria Use Type IV Pili to Walk Upright and Detach from Surfaces
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Date
2010-10
Authors
Gibiansky, Maxsim L.
Conrad, Jacinta C.
Jin, Fan
Gordon, Vernita D.
Motto, Dominick A.
Mathewson, Margie A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Science
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms are structured multicellular communities involved in a broad range of infections. Knowing how free-swimming bacteria adapt their motility mechanisms near surfaces is crucial for understanding the transition between planktonic and biofilm phenotypes. By translating microscopy movies into searchable databases of bacterial behavior, we identified fundamental type IV pili–driven mechanisms for Pseudomonas aeruginosa surface motility involved in distinct foraging strategies. Bacteria stood upright and “walked” with trajectories optimized for two-dimensional surface exploration. Vertical orientation facilitated surface detachment and could influence biofilm morphology.
Department
Description
1. Department of Bioengineering, California Nano Systems Institute,University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA.
2. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
4. Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
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Citation
Gibiansky, Maxsim L., Jacinta C. Conrad, Fan Jin, Vernita D. Gordon, Dominick A. Motto, Margie A. Mathewson, Wiktor G. Stopka, Daria C. Zelasko, Joshua D. Shrout, and Gerard CL Wong. "Bacteria use type IV pili to walk upright and detach from surfaces." Science 330, no. 6001 (2010): 197-197.