Signalling noise enhances chemotactic drift of E. coli

TL;DR

This study demonstrates through simulations that an optimal level of noise in E. coli's chemotactic signaling enhances directional movement without losing the ability to localize near chemical peaks, suggesting noise can be beneficial.

Contribution

The paper reveals that intermediate noise levels in methylation dynamics improve chemotactic drift, highlighting a beneficial role of noise in bacterial navigation.

Findings

Optimal noise enhances chemotactic drift.

Noise does not impair localization near concentration peaks.

Cells may exploit noise to improve chemotaxis.

Abstract

Noise in transduction of chemotactic stimuli to the flagellar motor of E. coli will affect the random run-and-tumble motion of the cell and the ability to perform chemotaxis. Here we use numerical simulations to show that an intermediate level of noise in the slow methylation dynamics enhances drift while not compromising localisation near concentration peaks. A minimal model shows how such an optimal noise level arises from the interplay of noise and the dependence of the motor response on the network output. Our results suggest that cells can exploit noise to improve chemotactic performance.