Magnetotactic bacteria sense and migrate along the geomagnetic field, but the molecular mechanism for directed motion is not known. Here, Popp et al. show that M. gryphiswaldensedisplays swimming polarity in an oxygen gradient sensed by the chemotactic sensory pathway CheOp1, revealing a link between aerotactic sensing and magnetotactic polarity.
- Felix Popp
- Judith P. Armitage
- Dirk Schüler