Physiological adaptation in flagellar architecture improves <i>Vibrio alginolyticus</i> chemotaxis in complex environments.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria navigate natural habitats with a wide range of mechanical properties, from the ocean to the digestive tract and soil, by rotating helical flagella like propellers. Species differ in the number, position, and shape of their flagella, but the adaptive value of these flagellar architectures is unclear. Many species traverse multiple types of environments, such as pathogens inside and outside a host. We investigate the hypothesis that flagellar architectures mediate environment-specific benefits in the marine pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus which exhibits physiological adaptation to the mechanical environment. In addition to its single polar flagellum, the bacterium produces lateral flagella in environments that differ mechanically from water. These are known to facilitate surfac

SUBMITTER: Grognot M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10450658 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature