Bacterial motility: How do pili pull?

Bacterial motility: How do pili pull?

Forceful retraction of a bacterial pilus has been directly observed for the first time. As retraction clarifies the basic mechanochemistry of single cell twitching and gliding movements, so cell-to-cell signalling by contact clarifies the coordination of multicellular gliding movements.

Flagellar Motility: All Pull Together

Eukaryotic flagella produce a swimming force by coordinating thousands of dynein motor proteins. Recent work provides new clues into how this coordination is achieved.

Physics of bacterial near-surface motility using flagella and type IV pili: implications for biofilm formation.

We review physically-motivated studies of bacterial near-surface motility driven by flagella and type IV pili (TfP) in the context of biofilm formation. We describe the motility mechanisms that individual bacteria deploying flagella and TfP use to move on and near surfaces, and discuss how the interactions of motility appendages with fluid and surfaces promote motility, attachment and dispersal...

Fimbriae, pili, flagella and bacterial virulence.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa twitching motility: type IV pili in action.

Type IV pili (T4P) are one of the most common forms of bacterial and archaeal surface structures, involved in adherence, motility, competence for DNA uptake, and pathogenesis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has emerged as one of the key model systems for the investigation of T4P structure and function. Although its reputation as a serious nosocomial and opportunistic pathogen is well deserved, its faci...