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Bacterial Flagellar Motor: Overview

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Encyclopedia of Biophysics

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Synonyms

Flagellum; Molecular motors; Rotary motor

Definition

The bacterial flagellar motor is an ion-driven rotary motor embedded in the cell membrane that drives a long helical filament (5–10 μm long with a diameter of ∼15 nm) enabling the cell to swim. The motor is connected to the filament by a short flexible hook about 100 nm long. Hook and filament form the flagellum. The flagellum/motor complex self-assembles and is the result of the coordinated, sequential expression of over 50 genes. The final structure is composed of at least 13 different proteins, all present in different copy numbers, ranging from a few to hundreds of them.

Swimming/Switching

In peritrichously flagellated bacteria such as Escherichia coli, hooks allow multiple filaments to come together to form a bundle that propels the cell forward. This happens when all the motors driving these filaments rotate in the same direction (counterclockwise). Flagellar motors are also able to rotate in the reverse direction,...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Nicolas J. Delalez

  2. Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Judith P. Armitage

Authors
  1. Nicolas J. Delalez
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  2. Judith P. Armitage
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicolas J. Delalez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Leicester MRC Centre, Leicester, United Kingdom

    Gordon Roberts

  2. Dept Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Anthony Watts

Section Editor information

  1. OCISB, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Judith P. Armitage

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© 2018 European Biophysical Societies' Association (EBSA)

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Delalez, N.J., Armitage, J.P. (2018). Bacterial Flagellar Motor: Overview. In: Roberts, G., Watts, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Biophysics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35943-9_202-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35943-9_202-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35943-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35943-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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