Modelling the Mechanics and Hydrodynamics of Swimming E. coli

The swimming properties of an E. coli-type model bacterium are investigated by mesoscale hy- drodynamic simulations, combining molecular dynamics simulations of the bacterium with the multiparticle particle collision dynamics method for the embedding fluid. The bacterium is com- posed of a spherocylindrical body with attached helical flagella, built up from discrete particles for an efficient coupling with the fluid. We measure the hydrodynamic friction coefficients of the bacterium and find quantitative agreement with experimental results of swimming E. coli. The flow field of the bacterium shows a force-dipole-like pattern in the swimming plane and two vor- tices perpendicular to its swimming direction arising from counterrotation of the cell body and the flagella. By comparison with the flow field of a force dipole and rotlet dipole, we extract the force- dipole and rotlet-dipole strengths for the bacterium and find that counterrotation of the cell body and the flagella is essential for describing the near-field hydrodynamics of the bacterium

Dynamic compartmentalization of bacteria: accurate division in E. coli

Positioning of the midcell division plane within the bacterium E. coli is controlled by the min system of proteins: MinC, MinD and MinE. These proteins coherently oscillate from end to end of the bacterium. We present a reaction--diffusion model describing the diffusion of min proteins along the bacterium and their transfer between the cytoplasmic membrane and cytoplasm. Our model spontaneously generates protein oscillations in good agreement with experiments. We explore the oscillation stability, frequency and wavelength as a function of protein concentration and bacterial length.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Latex2e, Revtex

Self Trapping of a Single Bacterium in its Own Chemoattractant

Bacteria (e.g. E. Coli) are very sensitive to certain chemoattractants (e.g. asparate) which they themselves produce. This leads to chemical instabilities in a uniform population. We discuss here the different case of a single bacterium, following the general scheme of Brenner, Levitov and Budrene. We show that in one and two dimensions (in a capillary or in a thin film) the bacterium can become self-trapped in its cloud of attractant. This should occur if a certain coupling constant $g$ is larger than unity. We then estimate the reduced diffusion D_eff of the bacterium in the strong coupling limit, and find D_eff ~ 1/g.Comment: 4 pages, absolutely no figure

Application of luciferase assay for ATP to antimicrobial drug susceptibility

The susceptibility of bacteria, particularly those derived from body fluids, to antimicrobial agents is determined in terms of an ATP index measured by culturing a bacterium in a growth medium. The amount of ATP is assayed in a sample of the cultured bacterium by measuring the amount of luminescent light emitted when the bacterial ATP is reacted with a luciferase-luciferin mixture. The sample of the cultured bacterium is subjected to an antibiotic agent. The amount of bacterial adenosine triphosphate is assayed after treatment with the antibiotic by measuring the luminescent light resulting from the reaction. The ATP index is determined from the values obtained from the assay procedures

The importance of being adhesive

Phytonematodes cause annual crop losses of $100 billion per year. Pasteuria penetrans is a bacterium that has potential to be developed into a biological control agent as an alternative to nematicides. This poster is an overview of a collagen-like gene that is responsible for adhesion of the bacterium to the nematode's cuticle as the first step in the infection process.Non peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Friend and foe: factors influencing the movement of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori along the parasitism-mutualism continuum.

Understanding the transition of bacterial species from commensal to pathogen, or vice versa, is a key application of evolutionary theory to preventative medicine. This requires working knowledge of the molecular interaction between hosts and bacteria, ecological interactions among microbes, spatial variation in bacterial prevalence or host life history, and evolution in response to these factors. However, there are very few systems for which such broad datasets are available. One exception is the gram-negative bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, which infects upwards of 50% of the global human population. This bacterium is associated with a wide breadth of human gastrointestinal disease, including numerous cancers, inflammatory disorders, and pathogenic infections, but is also known to confer fitness benefits to its host both indirectly, through interactions with other pathogens, and directly. Outstanding questions are therefore why, when, and how this bacterium transitions along the parasitism-mutualism continuum. We examine known virulence factors, genetic predispositions of the host, and environmental contributors that impact progression of clinical disease and help define geographical trends in disease incidence. We also highlight the complexity of the interaction and discuss future therapeutic strategies for disease management and public health in light of the longstanding evolutionary history between the bacterium and its human host

Dissipative Shocks behind Bacteria Gliding

Gliding is a means of locomotion on rigid substrates utilized by a number of bacteria includingmyxobacteria and cyanobacteria. One of the hypotheses advanced to explain this motility mechanism hinges on the role played by the slime filaments continuously extruded from gliding bacteria. This paper solves in full a non-linear mechanical theory that treats as dissipative shocks both the point where the extruded slime filament comes in contact with the substrate, called the filament's foot, and the pore on the bacterium outer surface from where the filament is ejected. We prove that kinematic compatibility for shock propagation requires that the bacterium uniform gliding velocity (relative to the substrate) and the slime ejecting velocity (relative to the bacterium) must be equal, a coincidence that seems to have already been observed.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1402.636

Swimming Efficiency of Bacterium Escherichia Coli

We use in vivo measurements of swimming bacteria in an optical trap to determine fundamental properties of bacterial propulsion. In particular, we determine the propulsion matrix, which relates the angular velocity of the flagellum to the torques and forces propelling the bacterium. From the propulsion matrix dynamical properties such as forces, torques, swimming speed and power can be obtained from measurements of the angular velocity of the motor. We find significant heterogeneities among different individuals even though all bacteria started from a single colony. The propulsive efficiency, defined as the ratio of the propulsive power output to the rotary power input provided by the motors, is found to be 0.2%.Comment: 6 page