Molecular architecture of chemoreceptor arrays revealed by cryoelectron tomography of Escherichia coli minicells

摘要

Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli, the most abundant inhabitant of the human gut, is one of the best understood behaviors at the molecular level exhibited by any organism. The basic phenomenon is very simple. Propelled by long, thin flagellar filaments, swimming cells move toward higher concentrations of attractant chemicals and toward lower concentrations of repellent chemicals. These movements are accomplished by biasing a 3D random walk (1), such that periods of smooth swimming, known as "runs," become longer as the cell moves in a favorable direction.