More than a Feeling: Microscopy Approaches to Understanding Surface-Sensing Mechanisms Journal Articles uri icon

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abstract

  • The mechanisms by which bacteria sense and respond to surface attachment have long been a mystery. Our understanding of the structure and dynamics of bacterial appendages, notably type IV pili (T4P), provided new insights into the potential ways that bacteria sense surfaces. T4P are ubiquitous, retractable hair-like adhesins that until recently, due to their nanoscale size, were difficult to image in the absence of fixation. This review focuses on recent microscopy innovations used to visualize T4P in live cells to reveal the dynamics of their retraction and extension.

publication date

  • February 22, 2021