dependence of bacterial chemotaxis on gradient shape and adaptation rate细菌趋化性依赖梯度形状和适应.pdfVIP

Dependence of Bacterial Chemotaxis on Gradient Shape and Adaptation Rate 1 2 3 2 Nikita Vladimirov *, Linda Løvdok , Dirk Lebiedz , Victor Sourjik ¨ ¨ ¨ 1 Interdisziplinares Zentrum fur Wissenschaftliches Rechnen (IWR), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, 2 Zentrum fur Molekulare Biologie (ZMBH), University ¨ of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, 3 Zentrum fur Biosystemanalyse (ZBSA), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Abstract Simulation of cellular behavior on multiple scales requires models that are sufficiently detailed to capture central intracellular processes but at the same time enable the simulation of entire cell populations in a computationally cheap way. In this paper we present RapidCell, a hybrid model of chemotactic Escherichia coli that combines the Monod-Wyman- Changeux signal processing by mixed chemoreceptor clusters, the adaptation dynamics described by ordinary differential equations, and a detailed model of cell tumbling. Our model dramatically reduces computational costs and allows the highly efficient simulation of E. coli chemotaxis. We use the model to investigate chemotaxis in different gradients, and suggest a new, constant-activity type of gradient to systematically study chemotactic behavior of virtual bacteria. Using the unique properties of this gradient, we show that optimal chemotaxis is observed in a narrow range of CheA kinase activity, where concentration of the response regulator CheY-P falls into the operating range of flagellar motors. Our simulations also confirm that the CheB p