Coordinated, long-range, solid substrate movement of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus.

ABSTRACT: The long-range movement of Rhodobacter capsulatus cells in the glass-agar interstitial region of borosilicate Petri plates was found to be due to a subset of the cells inoculated into plates. The macroscopic appearance of plates indicated that a small group of cells moved in a coordinated manner to form a visible satellite cluster of cells. Satellite clusters were initially separated from the point of inoculation by the absence of visible cell density, but after 20 to 24 hours this space was colonized by cells apparently shed from a group of cells moving away from the point of inoculation. Cell movements consisted of flagellum-independent and flagellum-dependent motility contributions. Flagellum-independent movement occurred at an early stage, such that satellite clusters formed after 12 t

SUBMITTER: Shelswell KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3087807 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature