Abstract
The plant-beneficial bacterium Azospirillum brasilense can swim in liquids and swarm or migrate with the formation of microcolonies in soft media. To get closer to understanding the influence of natural environments on A. brasilense motility, we studied the individual and social movement of the bacterium in the presence of various plant lectins. The lectins with specificity for N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosamine oligomers (wheat germ, Solanum tuberosum and Ulex europeus agglutinins) decreased A. brasilense swimming speed and induced the formation of branched-granular colonies instead of the swarming rings. These effects seemed to be a consequence of specific interactions between the agglutinins and the lectin-binding polymers present in the A. brasilense cell envelope. Concanavalin A (with an affinity for terminal alpha-d-mannosyl and alpha-d-glucosyl residues) and Phaseolus vulgaris phytohemagglutinin P (with unknown specificity) almost did not affect the motility of A. brasilense.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
