7.5: Examples of Bacterial Motility

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1. monotrichous - a single flagellum at one pole. (See Figs. \(\PageIndex{1A}\), \(\PageIndex{1B}\), and \(\PageIndex{1C}\),)

Fig. \(\PageIndex{1A}\): Flagella Stain Showing Monotrichous Arrangement of Flagella of a Vibrio species	Fig. \(\PageIndex{1B}\): Flagella Stain of Vibrio cholerae showing Monotrichous Arrangement of Flagella	Fig. \(\PageIndex{1C}\): Scanning Electron Micrograph Showing a Monotrichous Flagellum of Vibrio vulnificus

Note single flagellum (arrow)	Note single flagellum at each pole (arrows).	Aseptically pipette 0.1 ml of the 10^-4 bacterial dilution onto a plate of TSA. This will give a 1/100,000 or 10^-5 dilution of the sample. Using a bent-glass rod and a turntable, spread the bacteria out over the surface of the plate. Incubate the 3 plates at 37°C.
(Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)	By Content Provider: CDC [Public domain] Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.	By Content Providers(s): CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr [Public domain] Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fig. \(\PageIndex{1A}\): Flagella Stain Showing Monotrichous Arrangement of Flagella of a Vibrio species

Fig. \(\PageIndex{1B}\): Flagella Stain of Vibrio cholerae showing Monotrichous Arrangement of Flagella

Fig. \(\PageIndex{1C}\): Scanning Electron Micrograph Showing a Monotrichous Flagellum of Vibrio vulnificus

Photomicrograph of a flagella stain of a <i>Vibrio</i> species showing monotrichous arrangement of flagella.

Photomicrograph of a flagella stain of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> showing monotrichous arrangement of flagella.

Scanning electron micrograph of a flagella stain of <i>Vibrio vulnificus</i> showing monotrichous arrangement of flagella.

Note single flagellum (arrow)

Note single flagellum at each pole (arrows).

Aseptically pipette 0.1 ml of the 10^-4 bacterial dilution onto a plate of TSA. This will give a 1/100,000 or 10^-5 dilution of the sample.

Using a bent-glass rod and a turntable, spread the bacteria out over the surface of the plate. Incubate the 3 plates at 37°C.

(Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

By Content Provider: CDC [Public domain]
Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By Content Providers(s): CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr [Public domain]
Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2. amphitrichous - a single flagellum at both poles. (See Fig. \(\PageIndex{2}\).)

Photomicrograph of a flagella stain of a <i>Spirillum</i> species showing amphitrichous arrangement of flagella. — Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): **Flagella Stain of Spirillum Species Showing Amphitrichous Arrangement of Flagella**. Note single flagellum at each pole (arrows). (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

3. lophotrichous - two or more flagella at one or both poles of the cell. (See Fig. \(\PageIndex{3}\).)

Photomicrograph of a flagella stain of a <i>Spitillum</i> species showing lophotrichous arrangement of flagella. — Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): **Flagella Stain of Spirillum Species Showing Lophotrichous Arrangement of Flagella**.Note bundle of flagella at each pole (arrows). (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

4. peritrichous - completely surrounded by flagella. (See Fig. \(\PageIndex{4}\).)

Photomicrograph of a flagella stain of a <i>Proteus</i> species showing peritrichous arrangement of flagella. — Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): **Flagella Stain of Proteus Showing Peritrichous Arrangement of Flagella**. ote the bacterium is surrounded by flagella (arrow). (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

One group of bacteria, the spirochetes, has internally-located axial filaments. (see Fig. \(\PageIndex{5}\)) or endoflagella. Axial filaments wrap around the spirochete towards the middle from both ends. They are located above the peptidoglycan cell wall but underneath the outer membrane or sheath.

Illustration showing an axial filament of a spirochete. — Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\): **Spirochete Axial Filaments**. (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

Some bacteria use motility to contact host cells and disseminate within a host. The mucosal surfaces of the respiratory tract, the intestinal tract, and the genitourinary tract constantly flush bacteria away in order to prevent colonization of host mucous membranes. Motile bacteria can use their motility and chemotaxis to swim through mucus towards mucosal epithelial cells. Many bacteria that can colonize the mucous membranes of the bladder and the intestines, in fact, are motile. Motility probably helps these bacteria move through the mucus between the mucin strands or in places where the mucus is less viscous.

Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\): Spirochete Axial Filaments. (Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

In addition, because of their thinness, their internal flagella (axial filaments), their corkscrew shape, and their motility, certain spirochetes are more readily able to penetrate host mucous membranes, skin abrasions, etc., and enter the body. Motility and penetration may also enable the spirochetes to penetrate deeper in tissue and enter the lymphatics and bloodstream and disseminate to other body sites. Spirochetes that infect humans include Treponema pallidum that causes syphilis, Leptospira that causes leptospirosis, and Borrelia burgdorferi that causes Lyme disease. (See Figs. \(\PageIndex{21A}\), \(\PageIndex{21B}\), and \(\PageIndex{21C}\).)

Fig. \(\PageIndex{7A}\): The Spirochete Treponema pallidum (arrows) in Tissue.	Fig. \(\PageIndex{7B}\): Darkfield Microscope Photomicrograph of the Spirochete Leptospira	Fig. \(\PageIndex{7C}\): Borrelia burgdorferi

Aseptically pipette 0.1 ml of the 10^-6 bacterial dilution onto a plate of TSA. This will give a 1/10,000,000 or 10^-7 dilution of the sample. Using a bent-glass rod and a turntable, spread the bacteria out over the surface of the plate.	Aseptically pipette 0.1 ml of the 10^-5 bacterial dilution onto a plate of TSA. This will give a 1/1,000,000 or 10^-6 dilution of the sample. Using a bent-glass rod and a turntable, spread the bacteria out over the surface of the plate.	Aseptically pipette 0.1 ml of the 10^-4 bacterial dilution onto a plate of TSA. This will give a 1/100,000 or 10^-5 dilution of the sample. Using a bent-glass rod and a turntable, spread the bacteria out over the surface of the plate. Incubate the 3 plates at 37°C.
(Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)	(Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)	Photo Credit:Content Providers(s): CDC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fig. \(\PageIndex{7A}\): The Spirochete Treponema pallidum (arrows) in Tissue.

Fig. \(\PageIndex{7B}\): Darkfield Microscope Photomicrograph of the Spirochete Leptospira

Fig. \(\PageIndex{7C}\): Borrelia burgdorferi

Photomicrograph of the spirochete <i>Treponema pallidum</i> in tissue.

Photomicrograph of the spirochete <i>Leptospira interrogans</i> as seen using darkfield microscopy.

Photomicrograph of the spirochete <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> as seen using darkfield microscopy.

Aseptically pipette 0.1 ml of the 10^-6 bacterial dilution onto a plate of TSA. This will give a 1/10,000,000 or 10^-7 dilution of the sample. Using a bent-glass rod and a turntable, spread the bacteria out over the surface of the plate.

Aseptically pipette 0.1 ml of the 10^-5 bacterial dilution onto a plate of TSA. This will give a 1/1,000,000 or 10^-6 dilution of the sample. Using a bent-glass rod and a turntable, spread the bacteria out over the surface of the plate.

Aseptically pipette 0.1 ml of the 10^-4 bacterial dilution onto a plate of TSA. This will give a 1/100,000 or 10^-5 dilution of the sample.

Using a bent-glass rod and a turntable, spread the bacteria out over the surface of the plate. Incubate the 3 plates at 37°C.

(Copyright; Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D. The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus CC-BY-3.0)

Photo Credit:Content Providers(s): CDC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Contributors and Attributions

Dr. Gary Kaiser (COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, CATONSVILLE CAMPUS)