Molecules involved in motility regulation in Escherichia coli cells: a review

Abstract

The initial colonization of the host organism by commensal, probiotic, and pathogenic Escherichia coli strains is an important step in the development of infections and biofilms. Sensing and colonization of host cell surfaces are governed by flagellar and fimbriae/pili appendages, respectively. Biofilm formation confers great advantages on pathogenic E. coli cells such as protection against the host immune system, antimicrobial agents, and several environmental stress factors. The transition from planktonic to sessile physiological states involves several signaling cascades and factors responsible for the regulation of flagellar motility in E. coli cells. These regulatory factors have thus become important targets to control pathogenicity. Hence, attenuation of flagellar motility is considered a potential therapy against pathogenic E. coli. The present review describes signaling pathways and proteins involved in direct or indirect regulation of flagellar motility. Furthermore, application strategies for antimotility natural or synthetic compounds are discussed also.

Keywords:

• Biofilm formation
• Escherichia coli
• inhibition
• motility
• pathogenesis

Compliance with ethical standards

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author contribution

All authors were involved in the writing and editing of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2019R1A2C1087156).