Abstract.
Cyanobacteria and myxobacteria use slime secretion for gliding motility over surfaces. The slime is produced by the nozzle-like pores located on the bacteria surface. To understand the mechanism of gliding motion and its relation to slime polymerization, we have performed molecular dynamics simulations of a molecular nozzle with growing inside polymer chains. These simulations show that the compression of polymer chains inside the nozzle is a driving force for propulsion. There is a linear relationship between the average nozzle velocity and the chain polymerization rate with a proportionality coefficient dependent on the geometric characteristics of the nozzle such as its length and friction coefficient. This minimal model of the molecular engine was used to explain the gliding motion of bacteria over surfaces.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E. Hoiczyk, Arch. Microbiol. 174, 11 (2000).
M.J. Mcbride, Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 55, 49 (2001).
L. Mahadevan, P. Matsudaira, Science 288, 95 (2000).
C. Wolgemuth, E. Hoiczyk, D. Kaiser, G. Oster, Curr. Biol. 12, 369 (2002).
R.M. Harshey, Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 57, 249 (2003).
E. Hoiczyk, W. Baumeister, Curr. Biol. 8, 1161 (1998).
E. Hoiczyk, W. Baumeister, J. Bacteriol. 177, 2387 (1995).
J.A. Theriot, Traffic 1, 19 (2000).
E. Jahn, Beitrage zur botanischen protostologie. I. Die Polyangiden (Leipzig, Gerbreuder Borntraeger, 1924).
P.J. Flory, Principles of Polymer Chemistry (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 1953).
L.R.G. Treloar, The Physics of Rubber Elasticity (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1975).
M. Shibayma, T. Tanaka, Adv. Polym. Sci. 109, 1 (1993).
A. Mogilner, G. Oster, Biophys. J. 84, 1591 (2003).
F. Gerbal, P. Chaikin, Y. Rabin, J. Prost, Biophys. J. 79, 2259 (2000).
A. Bernheim-Groswasser, S. Wiesner, R.M. Golsteyn, M.-F. Carlier, C. Sykes, Nature 417, 308 (2002).
Y. Marcy, J. Prost, M.-F. Carlier, C. Sykes, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 5992 (2004).
F.C. Mackintosh, P.A. Janmey, Curr. Opin. Solid State Mater. Sci. 2, 350 (1997).
J.L. Barrat, J.F. Joanny, Adv. Chem. Phys. 94, 1 (1996).
S. Forster, M. Schmidt, Adv. Polym. Sci. 120, 51 (1995).
F. Oosawa, Polyelectrolytes (Marcel Dekker, New York, 1971).
C. Holm, J.F. Joanny, K. Kremer, R.R. Netz, P. Reineker, C. Seidel, T.A. Vilgis, R.G. Winkler, Adv. Polym. Sci. 166, 67 (2004).
K. Kageyama, J. Tamazawa, T. Aida, Science 285, 2113 (1999).
K. Binder, Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Polymer Science, edited by K. Binder (Oxford University Press, New York, 1995).
D. Frenkel, B. Smit, Understanding Molecular Simulations: From Algorithms to Applications (Academic Press, New York, 1996).
M. Doi, S.F. Edwards, The Theory of Polymer Dynamics (Clarendon Press, New York, 1986).
B.N.J. Persson, Sliding Friction. Physical Principles and Applications (Springer, New York, 1997).
G.K. Batchelor, An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000).
P.-G. De Gennes, Scaling Concepts in Polymer Physics (Cornell University Press, London, 1979).
A.Y. Grosberg, A.R. Khokhlov, Statistical Physics of Macromolecules (American Institute of Physics, New York, 1994).
M. Rubinstein, R.H. Colby, Polymer Physics (Oxford University Press, New York, 2003).
M. Doi, Dynamics and Patterns in Complex Fluids, edited by A. Onuki, K. Kawasaki (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1990).
S.T. Milner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 1477 (1991).
A.J. Hunt, F. Gittes, J. Howard, Biophys. J. 67, 766 (1994).
D.C. Bottino, L.J. Fauci, Eur. Biophys. J. 27, 532 (1998).
D.C. Bottino, A. Mogilner, T. Roberts, M. Stewart, G. Oster, J. Cell Sci. 115, 367 (2002).
R. Sambeth, A. Baumgaertner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 5196 (2001).
S.V.M. Satyanarayana, A. Baumgaertner, J. Chem. Phys. 121, 4255 (2004).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jeon, J., Dobrynin, A.V. Polymer confinement and bacterial gliding motility. Eur. Phys. J. E 17, 361–372 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2005-10015-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2005-10015-9