Accessing nutrients as the primary benefit arising from chemotaxis.

Miguel A Matilla, José A Gavira, Tino Krell

Current opinion in microbiology 2023 Oct

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About half of the known bacterial species perform chemotaxis that gains them access to sites that are optimal for growth and survival. The motility apparatus and chemotaxis signaling pathway impose a large energetic and metabolic burden on the cell. There is almost no limit to the type of chemoeffectors that are recognized by bacterial chemoreceptors. For example, they include hormones, neurotransmitters, quorum-sensing molecules, and inorganic ions. However, the vast majority of chemoeffectors appear to be of metabolic value. We review here the experimental evidence indicating that accessing nutrients is the main selective force that led to the evolution of chemotaxis. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Citation

Miguel A Matilla, José A Gavira, Tino Krell. Accessing nutrients as the primary benefit arising from chemotaxis. Current opinion in microbiology. 2023 Oct;75:102358