Chemotactic Sensitivity of Escherichia coli to Diffusion Perturbations in Narrow Tubes

摘要

Diffusion resistance hinders the free chemotactic motility of bacteria through narrow tubes and capillaries. Inmany such situations, diffusion is significant and often subject to environmental perturbations. This problem has beenanalyzed through the sensitivities of Escherichia coli cells, a secreted chemoattractant (aspartase) and a nutrient. Differencesand similarities among the sensitivity profiles with respect to the three diffusion coefficients reveal useful informationabout interactions between diffusion and chemotaxis. The results are consistent with the concept of stabilization createdby negative feedback, either within the chemosensory network or from outside. Their implications for some real systemsare discussed.