Flagellar rotation and the mechanism of bacterial motility

BACTERIAL flagella are generally composed of three morphologically distinguishable regions: the long flagellar filament, the hook, and the basal structure which is composed of an intricate set of disks and rods attaching the hook to the cell membrane and cell wall.

Abstract

BACTERIAL flagella are generally composed of three morphologically distinguishable regions: (a) the long flagellar filament which accounts for more than 95% of the flagellar protein; (b) the hook, which is generally 80–90 nm long and has a characteristic shape, and (c) the basal structure which is composed of an intricate set of disks and rods attaching the hook to the cell membrane and cell wall1–3.