Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 6766440 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Protonmotive force and bacterial sensing.

Journal of bacteriology ·Vol. 141 ·No. 1 ·1980-01-00 ·Pages 26-32

Miller JB, Koshland DE

Abstract

The role of the proton gradient and external pH in the motility and chemotaxis of Bacillus subtilis was investigated. Presence of a substantial proton gradient is not necessary for motility or chemotaxis, as long as the electrical potential is sufficient to maintain motility. Changes in the proton gradient do, however, lead to changes in swimming behavior, and these changes are mediated by two processes. One is sensitive to external pH and probably operates through a pH receptor. The second is sensitive to changes in the proton gradient. When the level of the protonmotive force is high enough to maintain motiligy, changes in the components of the protonmotive force are sensed by the bacteria and lead to behavioral changes, but changes in the protonmotive force are not necessary for chemotaxis.

MeSH Terms
Alanine/pharmacology Bacillus subtilis/drug effects,physiology Chemotaxis/drug effects Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Membrane Potentials/drug effects Movement/drug effects Nigericin/pharmacology
Chemicals
Alanine Nigericin
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Miller J B
Koshland D E
References (39)
39 references, click to expand
  1. The effect of environmental conditions on the motility of Escherichia coli.
    J Gen Microbiol. 1967 Feb;46(2):175-84 PMID: 4961758
  2. The intracellular pH of Escherichia coli.
    Biochim Biophys Acta. 1969 Oct 14;193(1):212-4 PMID: 4900194
  3. Effect of drugs that alter excitable membranes on the motility of Rhodospirillum rubrum and Thiospirillum jenense.
    Can J Microbiol. 1971 Feb;17(2):191-6 PMID: 4251321
  4. The stability of messenger ribonucleic acid during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.
    J Biol Chem. 1971 May 25;246(10):3189-95 PMID: 4995746
  5. Isolation and characterization of tricarboxylic acid cycle mutants of Bacillus subtilis.
    J Bacteriol. 1971 Jun;106(3):848-55 PMID: 4997541
  6. Chemiosmotic coupling in oxidative and photosynthetic phosphorylation.
    Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 1966 Aug;41(3):445-502 PMID: 5329743
  7. The gradient-sensing mechanism in bacterial chemotaxis.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Sep;69(9):2509-12 PMID: 4560688
  8. Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli analysed by three-dimensional tracking.
    Nature. 1972 Oct 27;239(5374):500-4 PMID: 4563019
  9. Uncoordination and recoordination in Spirillum volutans.
    Can J Microbiol. 1972 Nov;18(11):1749-59 PMID: 5086110
  10. A method for measuring chemotaxis and use of the method to determine optimum conditions for chemotaxis by Escherichia coli.
    J Gen Microbiol. 1973 Jan;74(1):77-91 PMID: 4632978
  11. Common mechanism for repellents and attractants in bacterial chemotaxis.
    Science. 1973 Jul 6;181(4094):60-3 PMID: 4576832
  12. Negative chemotaxis in Escherichia coli.
    J Bacteriol. 1974 May;118(2):560-76 PMID: 4597449
  13. Chemomechanical coupling without ATP: the source of energy for motility and chemotaxis in bacteria.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Apr;71(4):1239-43 PMID: 4598295
  14. Studies on the mechanism by which cyanine dyes measure membrane potential in red blood cells and phosphatidylcholine vesicles.
    Biochemistry. 1974 Jul 30;13(16):3315-30 PMID: 4842277
  15. Quantitation of the sensory response in bacterial chemotaxis.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Feb;72(2):710-3 PMID: 1091931
  16. Intrinsic and extrinsic light responses of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli.
    J Bacteriol. 1975 Aug;123(2):557-69 PMID: 1097417
  17. Bacterial motility and chemotaxis: light-induced tumbling response and visualization of individual flagella.
    J Mol Biol. 1974 Apr 15;84(3):399-406 PMID: 4618854
  18. Chemotaxis away from uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation in Bacillus subtilis.
    Science. 1975 Sep 5;189(4205):802-5 PMID: 808854
  19. Chemotactic repellents of Bacillus subtilis.
    J Mol Biol. 1976 Jan 5;100(1):103-8 PMID: 814244
  20. Receptor interactions in a signalling system: competition between ribose receptor and galactose receptor in the chemotaxis response.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Mar;73(3):762-6 PMID: 768985
  21. Control of tumbling in bacterial chemotaxis by divalent cation.
    J Bacteriol. 1976 May;126(2):706-11 PMID: 816789
  22. The electrochemical gradient of protons and its relationship to active transport in Escherichia coli membrane vesicles.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Jun;73(6):1892-6 PMID: 6961
  23. Biological applications of ionophores.
    Annu Rev Biochem. 1976;45:501-30 PMID: 786156
  24. Optical probes of membrane potential.
    J Membr Biol. 1976 Jun 30;27(4):317-34 PMID: 787526
  25. Chemotaxis toward amino acids by Bacillus subtilis.
    J Bacteriol. 1977 Jan;129(1):151-5 PMID: 12134
  26. Change in membrane potential during bacterial chemotaxis.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Dec;73(12):4387-91 PMID: 794876
  27. Proton-motive force and the motile behavior of Bacillus subtilis.
    Arch Microbiol. 1976 Dec 1;111(1-2):7-11 PMID: 13758
  28. The relationship between the electrochemical proton gradient and active transport in Escherichia coli membrane vesicles.
    Biochemistry. 1977 Mar 8;16(5):854-9 PMID: 14665
  29. Membrane fluidity and chemotaxis: effects of temperature and membrane lipid composition on the swimming behavior of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli.
    J Mol Biol. 1977 Apr;111(2):183-201 PMID: 323503
  30. A response regulator model in a simple sensory system.
    Science. 1977 Jun 3;196(4294):1055-63 PMID: 870969
  31. Circulation of H+ and K+ across the plasma membrane is not obligatory for bacterial growth.
    Science. 1977 Jul 22;197(4301):372-3 PMID: 69317
  32. A protonmotive force drives bacterial flagella.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Jul;74(7):3060-4 PMID: 19741
  33. Motility in Bacillus subtilis driven by an artificial protonmotive force.
    FEBS Lett. 1977 Oct 15;82(2):187-90 PMID: 410660
  34. Sensory electrophysiology of bacteria: relationship of the membrane potential to motility and chemotaxis in Bacillus subtilis.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Nov;74(11):4752-6 PMID: 412194
  35. Control of the chemotactic behavior of Bacillus subtilis cells.
    Arch Microbiol. 1978 Jan 23;116(1):1-8 PMID: 23735
  36. Effects of cyanine dye membrane probes on cellular properties.
    Nature. 1978 Mar 2;272(5648):83-4 PMID: 415251
  37. Protonmotive force and motility of Bacillus subtilis.
    J Bacteriol. 1978 Mar;133(3):1083-8 PMID: 25261
  38. Potentiation, desensitization, and inversion of response in bacterial sensing of chemical stimuli.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Jun;75(6):2820-4 PMID: 351616
  39. Inversion of a behavioral response in bacterial chemotaxis: explanation at the molecular level.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Sep;75(9):4150-4 PMID: 360210
Article Info
Journal
Journal of bacteriology
Abbr.
J Bacteriol
ISSN
0021-9193
DOI
10.1128/jb.141.1.26-32.1980
Published
1980-01-00
Pages
26-32
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
2985120R
PMCID
PMC293524
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/jb.141.1.26-32.1980 PMC Full Text View journal details
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: product@genelibs.com

Copyright © 2026.Genelibs Jinan Honghui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. 鲁ICP备20007159号-2