A method for measuring bacterial chemotaxis parameters in a microcapillary

✍ Scribed by Zewen Liu; Kyriakos D. Papadopoulos

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 657 KB
• Volume: 51
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-3592
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0290(19960705)51:1<120::aid-bit14>3.0.co;2-u

✦ Synopsis

A new method was developed which enables chemotaxis parameters t o be measured at a single-cell level inside a capillary for the first time. The chemotaxis chamber consists oftwo reservoirscommunicating through a capillary tube 50 p m in diameter. Chemotaxis parameters are measured inside the capillary using image analysis, after a nearly linear attractant concentration gradient has been generated along the capillary by diffusion. Compared to previously published techniques, this method provides a well-characterized chemoattractant concentration profile in addition to allowing single-cell parameters to be measured inside a fine capillary. This procedure was used to measure the single-cell chemotaxis parameters for Escherichia coliK12, and the results are compared to published data on single E. colicells chemotaxing in bulk.