The bacterial chemotactic response reflects a compromise between transient and steady-state behavior.

ABSTRACT: Swimming bacteria detect chemical gradients by performing temporal comparisons of recent measurements of chemical concentration. These comparisons are described quantitatively by the chemotactic response function, which we expect to optimize chemotactic behavioral performance. We identify two independent chemotactic performance criteria: In the short run, a favorable response function should move bacteria up chemoattractant gradients; in the long run, bacteria should aggregate at peaks of chemoattractant concentration. Surprisingly, these two criteria conflict, so that when one performance criterion is most favorable, the other is unfavorable. Because both types of behavior are biologically relevant, we include both behaviors in a composite optimization that yields a response function that

SUBMITTER: Clark DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1166586 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature