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 was considerably lower than the stalling force , suggesting that density, force, and adhesive properties of the pilus motor enable a tug-of-war mechanism for bacterial movement.
- Received 3 December 2009
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.178104
©2010 American Physical Society