Team:SDU-Denmark/project-t

From 2010.igem.org

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(Biobrick design)
(The mechanism of bacterial motility)
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Phototaxis is naturally not present in E.Coli, so that the wildtype does not change it's motility in response to light. The bacteria do move in response to different chemical gradients, so called chemotaxis. By this ability the cell can choose whether it wants to "run" or "tumble", which are the 2 known modes of bacterial propulsion. When running the bacteria just go in a straight line. When the bacteria tumble they will randomly reorientate themselves, until the mode is switched back to run and they run off into another direction. The cells use these mechanisms so that they will increase the rate of tumbling in an unfavorable environment, so that they tumble a lot and thereby get away from the unfavorable environment. In a favorable environment the bacteria will reduce their tumbling frequency so as they won't leave the good environment they are in at the moment.
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Phototaxis is naturally not present in ''E. coli'', and so the wildtype does not change its motility in response to light. The bacteria do move in response to different chemical gradients, so-called chemotaxis. By this ability the cell can choose whether to "run" or "tumble", which are the 2 known modes of bacterial propulsion. When running, the bacteria just go in a straight line. When the bacteria tumble they will randomly reorientate themselves, until the mode is switched back to run and they run off in another direction. The cells use these mechanisms so that they will increase the rate of tumbling in an unfavorable environment, so that they tumble a lot and thereby get away from the unfavorable environment. In a favorable environment the bacteria will reduce their tumbling frequency so as they won't leave the good environment they are in at the moment.
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The bacterial propulsion works with the help of flagellae, small bacterial motors that rotate. The 6 - 8 flagella of E. Coli bacteria will rotate counter clockwise when being in "run-mode" and three of them will bundle up to create one big flagellum. This results in a smooth-straight line pattern of movement. When the bacteria tumble the flagellae rotate clockwise, which breaks the bigger bundle up and makes the flagella whip around randomly instead of their normal rotation.
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The bacterial propulsion works with the help of flagella, small bacterial motors that rotate. The 6 - 8 flagella of ''E. coli'' bacteria will rotate counterclockwise when being in "run mode" and three of them will bundle up to create one big flagellum. This results in a smooth-straight line pattern of movement. When the bacteria tumble the flagella rotate clockwise, which breaks the bigger bundle up and makes the flagella whip around randomly instead of their normal rotation.
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Revision as of 18:36, 24 October 2010