Fig. 5. PilT-mediated MSHA retraction impacts near-surface motility patterns.

a Comparison between the mean trajectory speed (MTS) for WT, ΔpilT and ΔmshA. A similar comparison between WT and Δ4DGC is made in a separate experiment, to minimize errors from variations of external conditions. Each horizontal line in the plot represents one trajectory. The widths of the lines represent the distribution probabilities with a bin width of 10 µm per second. b Representative trajectories (marked by open blue circles) from these distinctive loci (represented by underlaid yellow ovals) are shown. Locus 1 is represented with a surface-attached cells; locus 2 with an orbiting cell, and locus 3 with a roaming cell. c Contour maps showing the radius of gyration (ROG) vs mean trajectory speed (MTS) for all trajectories in c: WT, ΔpilT and ΔmshA in the first comparison, and WT and Δ4DGC in the second comparison. The contour plot for all measured trajectories are peaked at several loci: These loci can be seen most clearly in ΔpilT, numbered 1, 2, and 3, corresponding to the trajectories highlighted in 5b.