Helicobacter pylori strains vary cell shape and flagellum number to maintain robust motility in viscous environments.

ABSTRACT: The helical shape of the human stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori has been suggested to provide mechanical advantage for penetrating the viscous stomach mucus layer. Using single-cell tracking and quantitative morphology analysis, we document marked variation in cell body helical parameters and flagellum number among H. pylori strains leading to distinct and broad speed distributions in broth and viscous gastric mucin media. These distributions reflect both temporal variation in swimming speed and morphologic variation within the population. Isogenic mutants with straight-rod morphology showed 7-21% reduction in speed and a lower fraction of motile bacteria. Mutational perturbation of flagellum number revealed a 19% increase in speed with 4 versus 3 median flagellum number. Resistive for

SUBMITTER: Martinez LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4857613 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature