A minimal model of metabolism-based chemotaxis

PLoS Comput Biol. 2010 Dec 2;6(12):e1001004. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001004.

Abstract

Since the pioneering work by Julius Adler in the 1960's, bacterial chemotaxis has been predominantly studied as metabolism-independent. All available simulation models of bacterial chemotaxis endorse this assumption. Recent studies have shown, however, that many metabolism-dependent chemotactic patterns occur in bacteria. We hereby present the simplest artificial protocell model capable of performing metabolism-based chemotaxis. The model serves as a proof of concept to show how even the simplest metabolism can sustain chemotactic patterns of varying sophistication. It also reproduces a set of phenomena that have recently attracted attention on bacterial chemotaxis and provides insights about alternative mechanisms that could instantiate them. We conclude that relaxing the metabolism-independent assumption provides important theoretical advances, forces us to rethink some established pre-conceptions and may help us better understand unexplored and poorly understood aspects of bacterial chemotaxis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Physiological Phenomena*
  • Chemotaxis / physiology*
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / physiology
  • Flagella / physiology
  • Fumarates / metabolism
  • Metabolism / physiology*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Salmonella typhimurium / metabolism
  • Salmonella typhimurium / physiology
  • Systems Biology

Substances

  • Fumarates