Multiple Pilus Motors Cooperate for Persistent Bacterial Movement in Two Dimensions

Claudia Holz, Dirk Opitz, Lilo Greune, Rainer Kurre, Michael Koomey, M. Alexander Schmidt, and Berenike Maier
Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 178104 – Published 28 April 2010

Abstract

In various bacterial species surface motility is mediated by cycles of type IV pilus motor elongation, adhesion, and retraction, but it is unclear whether bacterial movement follows a random walk. Here we show that the correlation time of persistent movement in Neisseria gonorrhoeae increases with the number of pili. The unbinding force of individual pili from the surface F=10pN was considerably lower than the stalling force F>100pN, suggesting that density, force, and adhesive properties of the pilus motor enable a tug-of-war mechanism for bacterial movement.

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  • Received 3 December 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.178104

©2010 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Claudia Holz1, Dirk Opitz1, Lilo Greune2, Rainer Kurre1, Michael Koomey3, M. Alexander Schmidt2, and Berenike Maier1,*

  • 1Institut für Molekulare Zellbiologie, Schlossplatz 5, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
  • 2Institut für Infektiologie, Zentrum für Molekularbiologie der Entzündung , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
  • 3Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience and Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway

  • *maierb@uni-muenster.de

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Vol. 104, Iss. 17 — 30 April 2010

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