Abstract
Bacterial chemotaxis is induced by sensing chemical stimuli via chemoreceptors embedded in the cytoplasmic membrane, enabling the cells to migrate toward nutrients or away from toxins. The chemoreceptors of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. have been well studied and are functionally classified on the basis of detectable substrates. The spirochete Leptospira possesses more than ten chemoreceptors and shows attractive or repellent responses against some sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids. However, the roles of these chemoreceptors have not been investigated. In this study, we conducted a chemotaxis assay called microscopic agar drop assay in combination with competition experiments, determining whether two kinds of attractants are recognized by the same type of chemoreceptor in the saprophytic Leptospira strain, Leptospira biflexa. Analyzing the competition effect observed between several pairs of chemicals, we found that L. biflexa senses sugars via chemoreceptors different from those that sense amino acids and fatty acids.
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Acknowledgments
We thank T. Masuzawa for providing Leptospira biflexa strain Patoc I. This work was supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas “Harmonized Supramolecular Motility Machinery and Its Diversity” to S.N. (15H01307), Research Foundation for Opto-Science and Technology to S.N.
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Affroze, S., Islam, M.S., Takabe, K. et al. Characterization of Leptospiral Chemoreceptors Using a Microscopic Agar Drop Assay. Curr Microbiol 73, 202–205 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-016-1049-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-016-1049-1