@article{egbert2010minimal,
  author = {Egbert, Matthew D. and Barandiaran, Xabier E. and Di Paolo, Ezequiel A.},
  title = {A Minimal Model of Metabolism-Based Chemotaxis},
  year = {2010},
  journal = {PLoS Comput Biol},
  volume = {6},
  number = {12},
  pages = {e1001004},
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001004},
  url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001004},
  abstract = {Traditionally, bacterial chemotaxis has been treated as metabolism-independent. Under this assumption, dedicated chemotaxis signalling pathways operate independently of metabolic processes. There is however, in various strains of bacteria, growing evidence of metabolism-dependent chemotaxis where metabolism modulates behavior. In this vein, we present the first model of metabolism-based chemotaxis that accomplishes chemotaxis without transmembrane receptors or signal transduction proteins, through the direct modulation of flagellar rotation by metabolite concentrations. The minimal model recreates chemotactic patterns found in bacteria, including: 1) chemotaxis towards metabolic resources and 2) away from metabolic inhibitors, 3) inhibition of chemotaxis in the presence of abundant resources, 4) cessation of chemotaxis to a resource due to inhibition of the metabolism of that resource, 5) sensitivity to metabolic and behavioral history and 6) integration of simultaneous complex environmental “stimuli”. The model demonstrates the substantial adaptability provided by the simple metabolism-based mechanism in the form of an ongoing, contextualized and integrative evaluation of the environment. Fumarate is identified as possibly playing a role in metabolism-based chemotaxis in bacteria, and some consequences of relaxing the metabolism-independent assumption are considered, causing us to reconsider the categorization of environmental compounds into “attractants” or “repellents” based solely on their binding properties.}
}