Repellent Taxis in Response to Nickel Ion Requires neither Ni2+ Transport nor the Periplasmic NikA Binding Protein

摘要

Ni²⁺ and Co²⁺ are sensed as repellents by the Escherichia coli Tar chemoreceptor. The periplasmic Ni²⁺ binding protein, NikA, has been suggested to sense Ni²⁺. We show here that neither NikA nor the membrane-bound NikB and NikC proteins of the Ni²⁺ transport system are required for repellent taxis in response to Ni²⁺.