Skip to main content
Log in

Bacterial chemotaxis in a two-dimensional attractant gradient

  • Published:
Journal of Biological Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The motion of a population of chemotactic bacteria in a radial exponential gradient of attractant in a cylindrical container has been calculated using a mathematical model suggested by Keller and Segel. Numerical solutions for the equations of bacterial migration have been found which give for all times the cell density at distances from the center of the cylinder. The ultimate distribution of bacteria is a simple stationary exponential function of the distance. Experiments to verify the theoretical predictions are suggested.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J. Adler; Chemotaxis in Bacteria,Science,153 (1966) 708–716.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. H. C. Berg and D. A. Brown; Chemotaxis inEscherichia coli Analyzed by Three-dimensional Tracking,Nature,239 (1972) 500–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. D. A. Brown and H. C. Berg; Temporal Stimulation of Chemotaxis inEscherichia coli, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., USA,71 (1974) 1388–1392.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. F. W. Dahlquist, P. Lovely and D. E. Koshland, Jr.; Quantitative Analysis of Bacterial Migration in Chemotaxis,Nature New Biology,236 (1972) 120–123. This article is referred to as DLK.

    Google Scholar 

  5. E. F. Keller and L. A. Segel; Traveling Bands of Chemotactic Bacteria: A Theoretical Analysis,J. Theor. Biol.,30 (1971) 235–248. This article is referred to as KS.

    Google Scholar 

  6. I. R. Lapidus and R. Schiller; A Mathematical Model for Bacterial Chemotaxis,Biophys. J., (1974) to be published.

  7. I. R. Lapidus and R. Schiller; Bacterial Chemotaxis in a Fixed Attractant Gradient, (1974) to be published.

  8. R. Macnab and D. E. Koshland, Jr.; The Gradient-Sensing Mechanism in Bacterial Chemotaxis,Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA,69 (1972) 2509–2512.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. R. Mesibov, G. W. Ordal and J. Adler; The Range of Attractant Concentrations for Bacterial Chemotaxis and the Threshold and Size of Response Over this Range-Weber Law and Related Phenomena,J. Gen. Physiol.,62 (1973) 203–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. R. Nossal; Growth and Movement of Rings of Chemotactic Bacteria,Expt. Cell Res.,75 (1972) 138–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. R. Nossal; Boundary Movement of Chemotactic Bacterial Populations,Math. Biosci.,13 (1972) 397–406.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. R. Nossal and G. A. Weiss; Analysis of a Densitometry Assay for Bacterial Chemotaxis,J. Theor. Biol.,41 (1973) 143–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. A. A. Segel and J. L. Jackson; Theoretical Analysis of Chemotactic Movements in Bacteria,J. Mechanochem. Cell Motil.,2 (1973) 25–34.

    Google Scholar 

  14. N. Tsang, R. Macnab and D. E. Koshland, Jr.; Common Mechanism for Repellants and Attractants in Bacterial Chemotaxis,Science,181 (1973) 60–63.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lapidus, I.R., Schiller, R. Bacterial chemotaxis in a two-dimensional attractant gradient. J Biol Phys 2, 205–216 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02308986

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02308986

Keywords

Navigation