Two antagonistic response regulators control Pseudomonas aeruginosa polarization during mechanotaxis.

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa adapts to solid surfaces to enhance virulence and infect its host. Type IV pili (T4P), long and thin filaments that power surface-specific twitching motility, allow single cells to sense surfaces and control their direction of movement. T4P distribution is polarized to the sensing pole by the chemotaxis-like Chp system via a local positive feedback loop.

Engineering Adhesion to Target Cells.

is a plant pathogen commonly repurposed for genetic modification of crops. Despite its versatility, it remains inefficient at transferring DNA to many hosts, including to animal cells. Like many pathogens, physical contact between and host cells promotes infection efficacy.

The Mammalian Membrane Microenvironment Regulates the Sequential Attachment of Bacteria to Host Cells.

Pathogen attachment to host tissue is critical in the progress of many infections. Bacteria use adhesion to stabilize colonization and subsequently regulate the deployment of contact-dependent virulence traits. To specifically target host cells, they decorate themselves with adhesins, proteins that bind to mammalian cell surface receptors.

Mechanotaxis directs twitching motility.

The opportunistic pathogen explores surfaces using twitching motility powered by retractile extracellular filaments called type IV pili (T4P). Single cells twitch by sequential T4P extension, attachment, and retraction. How single cells coordinate T4P to efficiently navigate surfaces remains unclear.

Biofilms deform soft surfaces and disrupt epithelia.

During chronic infections and in microbiota, bacteria predominantly colonize their hosts as multicellular structures called biofilms. A common assumption is that biofilms exclusively interact with their hosts biochemically. However, the contributions of mechanics, while being central to the process of biofilm formation, have been overlooked as a factor influencing host physiology.