Spirochete coordination of adhesion and motility in the presence of fluid shear forces

螺旋体是高度能动性的螺旋或平面波形细菌，其能动性被认为依赖于对细胞外环境成分的粘附。然而，如果运动依赖于粘附，那么粘附复合物必须是动态的螺旋体运动发生。螺旋体还必须在流体剪切力的存在下协调运动和粘附，流体剪切力可以破坏细菌在自然环境中表面的粘附和迁移，并且可以改变这些细菌的运动和粘附特性。在流体剪切力存在的情况下，螺旋体粘附和运动的动态协调的性质和机制尚未确定。早期研究螺旋体运动和粘附之间关系的努力受到无法从基因上破坏这些功能和缺乏适当的动态活细胞观察和标记方法的阻碍。最近的进展最终允许在一个活的螺旋体，莱姆病病原体伯氏疏螺旋体（Bb）的运动和粘附的动态协调的调查。我的研究计划的总体目标是研究Bb在流体剪切力作用下粘附和运动协调的基本特性和机制。我的短期目标是使用活细胞成像方法来定义螺旋体运动和粘附之间的动态关系，以及流体剪切力对这些功能的影响。我的长期目标是发展适当的方法来研究在流体剪切力下协调Bb粘附和运动的生物物理特性和机制。这些研究将为螺旋体运动和粘附的协调机制以及流体剪切力对这些过程的影响提供第一个动态的见解。

Spirochetes are highly motile helical or planar wave-form bacteria whose motility is thought to depend on adhesion to components of the extracellular environment. However, if motility is dependent on adhesion, then adhesion complexes must be dynamic for spirochete movement to occur. Spirochetes must also coordinate motility and adhesion in the presence of fluid shear forces, which can disrupt bacterial adhesion and migration on surfaces in the natural environment, and could alter both the motile and adhesive properties of these bacteria. The properties and mechanisms underlying dynamic coordination of spirochete adhesion and motility in the presence of fluid shear forces are not yet defined. Early efforts to investigate the relationship between spirochete motility and adhesion were impeded by the inability to disrupt these functions genetically and the absence of appropriate dynamic live cell observation and labelling methods. Recent advances finally permit investigation of the dynamic coordination of motility and adhesion in a living spirochete, the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). The overall objective of my research program is to investigate the fundamental properties and mechanisms underlying coordination of adhesion and motility in Bb subjected to fluid shear forces. My short-term objective is to use live cell imaging approaches to define the dynamic relationship between spirochete motility and adhesion, and the effect of fluid shear forces on these functions. My long-term objective is to develop appropriate methodologies for investigating the biophysical properties and mechanisms coordinating Bb adhesion and motility under fluid shear forces. These studies will provide the first dynamic insight into mechanisms coordinating motility and adhesion in spirochetes, and the effect of fluid shear forces on these processes.