Blinking bacteria may provide clue to their resistance to antibiotics
JUL 15, 2011
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025451
Science : Like little batteries, bacteria have two charges: positive on the outside of their cell membranes, negative on the inside, writes Sara Reardon for Science. And as with batteries, that division of charge is their power source. By pumping protons across their membrane, bacteria can make energy, spin their flagella so they can swim, and drive the pumps that bring in food. Researchers have now found that Escherichia coli drop the voltage difference for a brief moment and depolarize, much as neurons do when they fire. The phenomenon could help explain how some bacteria resist antibiotics: By depolarizing their membranes, the bacteria may be able to kick out charged molecules, such as toxins, that they’ve accumulated.
© 2011 American Institute of Physics
