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Twitching motility is a form of crawling bacterial motility used to move over surfaces. Twitching is mediated by the activity of hair-like filaments called type IV pili which extend from the cell's exterior, bind to surrounding solid substrates, and retract, pulling the cell forwards in a manner similar to the action of a grappling hook.[1][2][3] The name twitching motility is derived from the characteristic jerky and irregular motions of individual cells when viewed under the microscope.[4] It has been observed in many bacterial species, but is most well studied in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Myxococcus xanthus. Active movement mediated by the twitching system has been shown to be an important component of the pathogenic mechanisms of several species.[2]
- ^ Skerker, J. M.; Berg, H. C. (2001-06-05). "Direct observation of extension and retraction of type IV pili". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 98 (12): 6901–6904. Bibcode:2001PNAS...98.6901S. doi:10.1073/pnas.121171698. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 34450. PMID 11381130.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Merz, A. J.; So, M.; Sheetz, M. P. (2000-09-07). "Pilus retraction powers bacterial twitching motility". Nature. 407 (6800): 98–102. Bibcode:2000Natur.407...98M. doi:10.1038/35024105. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 10993081. S2CID 4425775.
- ^ Henrichsen, J. (December 1972). "Bacterial surface translocation: a survey and a classification". Bacteriological Reviews. 36 (4): 478–503. doi:10.1128/br.36.4.478-503.1972. ISSN 0005-3678. PMC 408329. PMID 4631369.