Building a flagellum in biological outer space
Flagella, the rotary propellers on the surface of bacteria, present a paradigm for how cells build and operate complex molecular ‘nanomachines’. Flagella grow at a constant rate to extend several times the length of the cell, and this is achieved by thousands of secreted structural subunits transiti...
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Shared Science Publishers OG
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Microbial Cell |
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| Online Access: | http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/building-a-flagellum-in-biological-outer-space/ |
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| author | Lewis D. B. Evans Colin Hughe Gillian M. Fraser |
| author_facet | Lewis D. B. Evans Colin Hughe Gillian M. Fraser |
| author_sort | Lewis D. B. Evans |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Flagella, the rotary propellers on the surface of bacteria, present a paradigm for how cells build and operate complex molecular ‘nanomachines’. Flagella grow at a constant rate to extend several times the length of the cell, and this is achieved by thousands of secreted structural subunits transiting through a central channel in the lengthening flagellum to incorporate into the nascent structure at the distant extending tip. A great mystery has been how flagella can assemble far outside the cell where there is no conventional energy supply to fuel their growth. Recent work published by Evans et al.[Nature (2013) 504: 287-290], has gone some way towards solving this puzzle, presenting a simple and elegant transit mechanism in which growth is powered by the subunits themselves as they link head-to-tail in a chain that is pulled through the length of the growing structure to the tip. This new mechanism answers an old question and may have resonance in other assembly processes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-669a52e586944d99862c3f300b4ea613 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2311-2638 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Shared Science Publishers OG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbial Cell |
| spelling | doaj-art-669a52e586944d99862c3f300b4ea6132025-08-20T02:57:39ZengShared Science Publishers OGMicrobial Cell2311-26382014-01-0112646610.15698/mic2014.01.128Building a flagellum in biological outer spaceLewis D. B. Evans0Colin Hughe1Gillian M. Fraser2Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, United Kingdom.Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, United Kingdom.Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, United Kingdom.Flagella, the rotary propellers on the surface of bacteria, present a paradigm for how cells build and operate complex molecular ‘nanomachines’. Flagella grow at a constant rate to extend several times the length of the cell, and this is achieved by thousands of secreted structural subunits transiting through a central channel in the lengthening flagellum to incorporate into the nascent structure at the distant extending tip. A great mystery has been how flagella can assemble far outside the cell where there is no conventional energy supply to fuel their growth. Recent work published by Evans et al.[Nature (2013) 504: 287-290], has gone some way towards solving this puzzle, presenting a simple and elegant transit mechanism in which growth is powered by the subunits themselves as they link head-to-tail in a chain that is pulled through the length of the growing structure to the tip. This new mechanism answers an old question and may have resonance in other assembly processes.http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/building-a-flagellum-in-biological-outer-space/bacterial flagellachain mechanismType III exportrotary nanomachinecell motility |
| spellingShingle | Lewis D. B. Evans Colin Hughe Gillian M. Fraser Building a flagellum in biological outer space Microbial Cell bacterial flagella chain mechanism Type III export rotary nanomachine cell motility |
| title | Building a flagellum in biological outer space |
| title_full | Building a flagellum in biological outer space |
| title_fullStr | Building a flagellum in biological outer space |
| title_full_unstemmed | Building a flagellum in biological outer space |
| title_short | Building a flagellum in biological outer space |
| title_sort | building a flagellum in biological outer space |
| topic | bacterial flagella chain mechanism Type III export rotary nanomachine cell motility |
| url | http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/building-a-flagellum-in-biological-outer-space/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lewisdbevans buildingaflagelluminbiologicalouterspace AT colinhughe buildingaflagelluminbiologicalouterspace AT gillianmfraser buildingaflagelluminbiologicalouterspace |