Skip to main content
PMC home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1976 Dec;73(12):4387–4391. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.12.4387

Change in membrane potential during bacterial chemotaxis.

S Szmelcman, J Adler
PMCID: PMC431468  PMID: 794876

Abstract

To find out if there are changes in membrane potential during bacterial chemotaxis, we measured the membrane potential of Escherichia coli indirectly by use of the permeating, lipid-soluble cation triphenylmethylphosphonium. Addition of attractants or repellents to the bacteria brought about a hyperpolarizing peak (as well as additional, later changes in membrane potential). This peak was shown to be a part of the chemotactic mechanism based on the following evidence: (i) All attractants and repellents tested gave this peak while chemotactically inert chemicals did not. (ii) Mutants lacking galactose taxis failed to give the peak with galactose but did with another attractant and with repellents. (iii) Methionine, required for chemotaxis, is also required for production of this peak. (iv) A mutant in a control gene )flaI), unable to synthesize flagella and cytoplasmic membrane proteins related to motility and chemotaxis, failed to give the peak. (v) Paralyzed (mot) mutants gave little or none of the peak. Generally nonchemotactic (che) mutants, on the other hand, did give this peak. Very likely there are ion fluxes that bring about this change in membrane potential. We discuss the possible role of the mot gene product as an ion gate controlled by a methylation-demethylation process in response to attractants and repellents acting through their chemoreceptors.

Full text

PDF
4387

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adler J. Chemoreceptors in bacteria. Science. 1969 Dec 26;166(3913):1588–1597. doi: 10.1126/science.166.3913.1588. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Adler J. Chemotaxis in bacteria. Annu Rev Biochem. 1975;44:341–356. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.44.070175.002013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Adler J., Hazelbauer G. L., Dahl M. M. Chemotaxis toward sugars in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1973 Sep;115(3):824–847. doi: 10.1128/jb.115.3.824-847.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Armstrong J. B., Adler J. Complementation of nonchemotactic mutants of Escherichia coli. Genetics. 1969 Jan;61(1):61–66. doi: 10.1093/genetics/61.1.61. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Armstrong J. B., Adler J. Genetics of motility in Escherichia coli: complementation of paralysed mutants. Genetics. 1967 Jul;56(3):363–373. doi: 10.1093/genetics/56.3.363. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Berg H. C., Anderson R. A. Bacteria swim by rotating their flagellar filaments. Nature. 1973 Oct 19;245(5425):380–382. doi: 10.1038/245380a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Berg H. C., Brown D. A. Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli analysed by three-dimensional tracking. Nature. 1972 Oct 27;239(5374):500–504. doi: 10.1038/239500a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Berg H. C. Chemotaxis in bacteria. Annu Rev Biophys Bioeng. 1975;4(00):119–136. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bb.04.060175.001003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Berg H. C. Dynamic properties of bacterial flagellar motors. Nature. 1974 May 3;249(452):77–79. doi: 10.1038/249077a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Boos W. The galactose binding protein and its relationship to the beta-methylgalactoside permease from Escherichia coli. Eur J Biochem. 1969 Aug;10(1):66–73. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1969.tb00656.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Brown D. A., Berg H. C. Temporal stimulation of chemotaxis in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Apr;71(4):1388–1392. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.4.1388. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Caraway B. H., Krieg N. R. Uncoordination and recoordination in Spirillum volutans. Can J Microbiol. 1972 Nov;18(11):1749–1759. doi: 10.1139/m72-271. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Eckert R. Bioelectric control of ciliary activity. Science. 1972 May 5;176(4034):473–481. doi: 10.1126/science.176.4034.473. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Faust M. A., Doetsch R. N. Effect of drugs that alter excitable membranes on the motility of Rhodospirillum rubrum and Thiospirillum jenense. Can J Microbiol. 1971 Feb;17(2):191–196. doi: 10.1139/m71-033. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Harold F. M. Conservation and transformation of energy by bacterial membranes. Bacteriol Rev. 1972 Jun;36(2):172–230. doi: 10.1128/br.36.2.172-230.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hazelbauer G. L., Adler J. Role of the galactose binding protein in chemotaxis of Escherichia coli toward galactose. Nat New Biol. 1971 Mar 24;230(12):101–104. doi: 10.1038/newbio230101a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kort E. N., Goy M. F., Larsen S. H., Adler J. Methylation of a membrane protein involved in bacterial chemotaxis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Oct;72(10):3939–3943. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.10.3939. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kung C., Chang S. Y., Satow Y., Houten J. V., Hansma H. Genetic dissection of behavior in paramecium. Science. 1975 May 30;188(4191):898–904. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Larsen S. H., Adler J., Gargus J. J., Hogg R. W. Chemomechanical coupling without ATP: the source of energy for motility and chemotaxis in bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Apr;71(4):1239–1243. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.4.1239. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Larsen S. H., Reader R. W., Kort E. N., Tso W. W., Adler J. Change in direction of flagellar rotation is the basis of the chemotactic response in Escherichia coli. Nature. 1974 May 3;249(452):74–77. doi: 10.1038/249074a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Macnab R. M., Koshland D. E., Jr The gradient-sensing mechanism in bacterial chemotaxis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Sep;69(9):2509–2512. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.9.2509. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mesibov R., Adler J. Chemotaxis toward amino acids in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1972 Oct;112(1):315–326. doi: 10.1128/jb.112.1.315-326.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ordal G. W., Adler J. Isolation and complementation of mutants in galactose taxis and transport. J Bacteriol. 1974 Feb;117(2):509–516. doi: 10.1128/jb.117.2.509-516.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Ordal G. W., Goldman D. J. Chemotactic repellents of Bacillus subtilis. J Mol Biol. 1976 Jan 5;100(1):103–108. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(76)80037-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Parkinson J. S. Data processing by the chemotaxis machinery of Escherichia coli. Nature. 1974 Nov 22;252(5481):317–319. doi: 10.1038/252317a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Rotman B., Ganesan A. K., Guzman R. Transport systems for galactose and galactosides in Escherichia coli. II. Substrate and inducer specificities. J Mol Biol. 1968 Sep 14;36(2):247–260. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90379-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Schuldiner S., Kaback H. R. Membrane potential and active transport in membrane vesicles from Escherichia coli. Biochemistry. 1975 Dec 16;14(25):5451–5461. doi: 10.1021/bi00696a011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Silverman M., Matsumura P., Simon M. The identification of the mot gene product with Escherichia coli-lambda hybrids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Sep;73(9):3126–3130. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.9.3126. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Silverman M., Simon M. Flagellar rotation and the mechanism of bacterial motility. Nature. 1974 May 3;249(452):73–74. doi: 10.1038/249073a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Silverman M., Simon M. Genetic analysis of flagellar mutants in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1973 Jan;113(1):105–113. doi: 10.1128/jb.113.1.105-113.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Tsang N., Macnab R., Koshland D. E., Jr Common mechanism for repellents and attractants in bacterial chemotaxis. Science. 1973 Jul 6;181(4094):60–63. doi: 10.1126/science.181.4094.60. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Tso W. W., Adler J. Negative chemotaxis in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1974 May;118(2):560–576. doi: 10.1128/jb.118.2.560-576.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. West I., Mitchell P. Proton-coupled beta-galactoside translocation in non-metabolizing Escherichia coli. J Bioenerg. 1972 Aug;3(5):445–462. doi: 10.1007/BF01516082. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES