ArticlePLoS pathogens2022
Cell shape controls rheotaxis in small parasitic bacteria.
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Unraveling the role of distinct cytoskeletal motility structures in Mycoplasma pneumoniae relatives.BMC microbiology · 2025Review
- Review
- Rapid water flow triggers long-distance positive rheotaxis for thermophilic bacteria.The ISME journal · 2025Article
- Gliding direction ofBiophysics and physicobiology · 2025Article
- Internal structure ofBiophysics and physicobiology · 2024Article
- Frontiers of microbial movement research.Biophysics and physicobiology · 2023Article
- Simple dynamics underlying the survival behaviors of ciliates.Biophysics and physicobiology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Mycoplasmas, a group of small parasitic bacteria, adhere to and move across host cell surfaces. The role of motility across host cell surfaces in pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we used optical microscopy to visualize rheotactic behavior in three phylogenetically distant species of Mycoplasma using a microfluidic chamber that enabled the application of precisely controlled fluid flow. We show that directional movements against fluid flow occur synchronously with the polarized cell orienting itself to be parallel against the direction of flow. Analysis of depolarized cells revealed that morphology itself functions as a sensor to recognize rheological properties that mimic those found on host-cell surfaces. These results demonstrate the vital role of cell morphology and motility in responding to mechanical forces encountered in the native environment.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.