Pattern Formation by Motile Bacteria

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Under certain conditions, cells of chemotactic strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli aggregate in spots or stripes distributed in symmetrical arrays. Each aggregate contains a large number of cells that have migrated toward a discrete locus in response to a signal generated by the cells themselves. This signal is produced when cells are grown on defined media and exposed to intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle or to hydrogen peroxide. It is a chemical of low molecular weight sensed by the aspartate receptor. Dr. Berg proposes 1) to identify this chemical, 2) to characterize its mode of production, and 3) to develop a mathematical formulation that will help explain why patterns are formed with such varied geometries. This is a cross field endeavor that links sensory transduction, responses to stress, and secretion of signal molecules to problems of biological self organization. It does so with a model system readily amenable to genetic and biochemical manipulation.