Abstract
A simple and reliable technique to study bacterial chemotaxis in natural aquatic environments is reported. This technique uses the test chemicals in known volumes of semi-solid agar media placed in double layered, highly porous, polyester tubes. Following in situ incubation, bacteria attracted by the test chemicals are enumerated with fluorescence microscopy following acridine orange staining. Studies in an eutrophic reservoir showed that significant numbers of bacteria were attracted to D-glucose and glycine; no significant effects were observed with L-serine, sodium succinate, or sodium chloride.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adler J (1973) A method for measuring chemotaxis and use of the method to determine optimum conditions for chemotaxis byEscherichia coli J Gen Microbiol 74: 77–91
Adler J (1975) Chemotaxis in bacteria. Ann Rev Biochem 44: 341–356
Chet I, Mitchell R (1976) Ecological aspects of microbial chemotactic behavior. Ann Rev Microbiol 30: 221–239
Gallucci KK, Paerl HW (1983)Pseudomonas aeruginosa chemotaxis associated with blooms of N2-fixing blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Appl Environ Microbiol 45: 557–562
Hobbie JE Daley RJ, Jasper S (1977) Use of nuclepore filters for counting bacteria by fluorescence microscopy. Appl Environ Microbiol 33: 1225–1228
Kangatharalingam N, Ferguson MW (1984) A simple and rapid technique for fluorescence staining of fungal nuclei Current Microbiology 10: 99–104
Martin DB, Arenson RD (1978) Comparative limnology of a deep-discharge reservoir and a surface-discharge lake on the Madison River, Montana. Freshwater Biol 8: 33–42
Migas J, Anderson KL, Cruden DL, Markovetz AJ (1989) Chemotaxis inMethanospirillum hungatei Appl Environ Microbiol 55: 264–265
Paerl HW, Gallucci KK (1985) Role of chemotaxis in establishing a specific nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial-bacterial association. Science 227: 647–649
Palleroni NJ (1976) Chamber for bacterial chemotaxis experiments. Appl Environ Microbiol 32: 729–730
Pfeffer W (1884) Locomotorische Richtungsbewegungen durch chemische Reize. Untersuchungen aus dem Botanischen Institute in Tubingen 1: 363–482
Wellman AM, Paerl HW (1981) Rapid chemotaxis assay using radioactively labelled bacterial cells. Appl Environ Microbiol 42: 216–221
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kangatharalingam, N., Wang, L. & Priscu, J.C. An in situ technique to measure bacterial chemotaxis in natural aquatic environments. Microb Ecol 20, 3–10 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02543862
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02543862