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Bacteria and their flagella

1960; Elsevier BV; Volume: 42; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0006-3002(60)90798-8

1878-2434

Allen L. King,

Protist diversity and phylogeny

Bacterial flagella have become of great biological interest because they are useful models in studies dealing with the conversion of chemical energy to motion and with molecular aspects of morphogenesis. Electron microscopically, the flagellum can be seen to contain the following three morphologically distinct parts—namely, a basal structure that is closely associated with the cytoplasmic membrane and cell wall, a hook, and the main spiral filament— apparently a tube, the wall of which is constructed of the protein named "flagellin." The filament is the most prominent feature of the bacterial flagellum. The hook and basal structure constitute only minor portions of the organelle, and relatively little is known about them, although the recent purification of hooks promises more tangible information regarding that region. Preparations of isolated "flagella" are predominantly filament material although, depending on the method of isolation, basal regions and hooks are also present in varying degrees.