Bacterial flagella and motility

Chemotaxis in Bacteria

“…When there are several flagella originating from various places around the cell, as in E. coli or S. typhimurium, the flagella function together as a bundle propelling the bacterium from behind (74,81,82). Apparently, the bundle of flagella survives counterclockwise rotation of the individual flagella, to bring about smooth swimming (no tumbling), but comes apart as a result of clockwise rotation of individual flagella to produce tumbling.…”

The biology of cilia and flagella

“…Any attempts at comparison are complicated by the fact that all bacterial flagella are evidently not the same, and by the lack of detailed information about the structure of bacterial flagella. In addition, Pijper (1957) has reviewed the evidence for flagellar motility in bacteria and found it insufficient for proof that the flagella are self-motile organelles, in spite of the finding of Fleming, Voureka, Kramer and Hughes (1950) that the flagella start to move before the bacteria do, and that flagella may move on bacteria that are trapped and unable to move. De Robertis and Franchi (1951) studied the flagella oi Bacillus hrevis under the electron microscope and found a central filament some 120 to 150 A in diameter surrounded by a thin sheath.…”

Cils Vibratiles Et Flagelles

“…On sait comment Pijper a consacrC une longue et importante sCrie de recherches 8 l'analyse des mouvements bactkriens observCs sur fond noir en utilisant 1'Cclairage intense fourni par le soleil. Cet auteur expose et discute dans une revue rCcente tr&s documentke (Pijper, 1957) les multiples aspects du problkme de la motilitC; il montre que, si la motilitk des BactCries est un fait, le r61e propulseur de leurs flagelles reste insuffisamment dCmontrC. On sait que les CyanophycCes, par exemple, se meuvent, lentement il est vrai, sans le secours d'aucun organite vibratile; il en est de mCme pour les Beggiatoa ; ajoutons qu'une autre ThiobactCriale, Thiovulum majus, est capable de rotation et de translation rapide malgrk l'absence apparente d'appendices moteurs (FaurC-Fremiet et Rouiller, 1957).…”