How Bacteriophage χ Attacks Motile Bacteria

Abstract

Bacteriophage X attaches to the filament of a bacterial flagellum by means of a tail fiber, but the ultimate receptor site for the phage is located at the base of the bacterial flagellum. Here, the phage injects its deoxyribonucleic acid into the bacterium, leaving the empty phage attached at the base. It is suggested that x slides along the filament of the flagellum to the base, owing to the movement of the flagellum. The role of motility would thus be to provide for rapid adsorption of the phage by guiding the phage to the adsorption sites at the bases of the flagella. Bacteria whose motility has been strongly inhibited by cold or anaerobic conditions still adsorb x at the filaments and bases of flagella if a high multiplicity is used. This indicates that direct collisions with the bases may also be possible. Bacteria must be flagellated in order for X to attach, but only a short flagellum, perhaps only the flagellar base, is necessary.

The flagellotropic bacteriophage YSD1 targets Salmonella Typhi with a Chi‐like protein tail fibre

“…3E), as well as in flagellar-located YSD1 (Fig. 1C) and Chi (Schade et al, 1967). It corresponds to the main element that would need to interact with bacterial flagellae in current theoretical models for engagement of flagellotropic phage with bacteria (Katsamba and Lauga, 2019).…”

Hydrodynamics of bacteriophage migration along bacterial flagella

“…2B and D. We use below the χ-phage as a typical long-tailed phage, whose detailed dimensions are reported in Ref. [22]. The hexagonal head measures 650 − 675Å between parallel sides (that is 2a h ≈ 650 − 675Å).…”

“…Virol., 1968, 2 (3), 256-264, Copyright 1968, American Society for Microbiology. (C) χ-phage of E. coli [22]. The head measures 65 to 67.5 nm between the parallel sides of the hexagon [22]; (D) χ-phage at different times between attachment on the flagellar filament of E. coli and reaching the base of the filament [22].…”

Selection Experiments Reveal Trade-Offs Between Swimming and Twitching Motilities In pseudomonas Aeruginosa

“…Bacterial motility is presumably a crucial component of fitness in most habitats because it enables cells to move toward sources of nutrition (Wei et al 2011), move away from potential causes of harm (such as toxins and predation; Chet and Mitchell 1976), and avoid competition with clone mates (Taylor and Buckling 2010). It is also particularly important in host colonization success of opportunistic pathogens (Drake and Montie 1988), and indirectly influences other virulence-related characteristics under strong selection, such as biofilm development (Klausen et al 2003) and bacteriophage attachment (Schade et al 1967). Crucially, natural populations of motile bacteria show a large amount of variation in motility even over small spatial scales (Vos and Velicer 2008), suggesting that different habitats favor different motility strategies (Fux et al 2005).…”