Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chemotaxis toward amino acids inBacillus subtilis

  • Published:
Archives of Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Quantitative measurement of positive chemotaxis inBacillus subtilis was performed by means of adaption of the procedure used in studies withEscherichia coli.

The motility ofB. subtilis was optimal in the presence of an exogeneous energy source and a nonionic detergent,e. g. Tween 80 or Brij-36.

B. subtilis is chemotactic toward the commonly occurringL-amino acids except arginine, lysine, aspartate and glutamate. No chemotactic response was observed towardD-amino acids. Threshold, optimal response and peak concentration were determined. Chemotaxis toward glutamine was optimal at pH 6-7 and a temperature of 32°C.

The maximum response toward a particular attractant was presumably influenced by the aerotactic behavior ofB. subtilis.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

O.D.600 :

optical density measured at 600 nm

References

  • Adler, J.: Chemotaxis in bacteria. Science153, 708–716 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Adler, J.: Chemoreceptors in bacteria. Science166, 1588–1597 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Adler, J.: A method for measuring chemotaxis and use of the method to determine optimum conditions for chemotaxis byEscherichia coli. J. gen. Microbiol.74, 77–91 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Adler, J., Templeton, B.: The effect of environmental conditions on the motility ofEscherichia coli. J. gen. Microbiol.46, 175–184 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Aksamit, R., Koshland, D. E., Jr.: A ribose binding protein ofSalmonella typhimurium. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun.48, 1348–1353 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, J. B.: Chemotaxis and methionine metabolism inEscherichia coli. Canad. J. Microbiol.18, 591–596 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazelbauer, G. L., Adler, J.: Role of the galactose binding protein in chemotaxis ofEscherichia coli toward galactose. Nature (Lond.)230, 101–104 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazelbauer, G. L., Mesibov, R. E., Adler, J.:Escherichia coli mutants defective in chemotaxis toward specific chemicals. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.)64, 1300–1307 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalckar, H. M.: The periplasmic galactose binding protein ofEscherichia coli. Science174 557–565 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesibov, R., Adler, J.: Chemotaxis toward amino acids inEscherichia coli. J. Bact.112, 315–328 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, W.: Über chemotaktische Bewegungen von Bakterien, Flagellaten und Volvocineen. Untersuchungen aus dem Botanischen Institut in Tübingen2, 582–661 (1881)

    Google Scholar 

  • Weibull, C.: Movement. In: The bacteria, Vol. 1, p. 153–205, I. C. Gunsalus and R. Y. Stanier, Eds. New York: Academic Press 1960

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    C. van der Drift & M. H. de Jong

Authors
  1. C. van der Drift
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. H. de Jong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van der Drift, C., de Jong, M.H. Chemotaxis toward amino acids inBacillus subtilis . Arch. Microbiol. 96, 83–92 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00590165

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00590165

Key words

Search

Navigation