Measurements of Free-swimming Speed of Motile Cells in Liquid Media
Overview
Affiliations
Bacteria such as and swim in liquid media using the bacterial flagella. The flagellum consists of the basal body (rotary motor), the hook (universal joint) and the filament (helical screw). Since mutants with a defect in flagellar assembly and function cannot swim smoothly, motility assay is an easy way to characterize flagellar mutants. Here, we describe how to measure free-swimming speeds of motile cells in liquid media. Free-swimming behavior under a microscope shows a significant variation among bacterial cells.
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