Flagella News and Research

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Bacterial movement is powered by tiny protein motor

The ability to move is key for bacteria like some strains of salmonella and E. coli to efficiently spread infections. They can propel themselves forward using threads, known as flagella, powered by the flagellar rotary motor.

15 Sep 2020

Why some sperm swim in circles – it’s a protein defect

A new study published in the journal PNAS shows that some sperm cannot swim straight because they lack a protein called VSP. This motility defect seriously impacts the rates of successful fertilization. In addition, VSP is also found to regulate the amount of calcium that enters the flagellum, the whiplike organelle that propels the sperm towards the waiting ovum or egg. This important discovery may help treat infertility more effectively.

3 Dec 2019

Mechanism for antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas explained in new research

A new study has revealed the underlying mechanism of development of antibiotic resistance among Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Pseudomonas is known to cause severe and often life threatening infections in humans. These infections become further difficult to treat because of the development of resistance against commonly used antibiotics.

30 Oct 2019

Green tea compound shows promise in tackling antibiotic resistance

Green tea has gained immense popularity across the globe, mainly because of its health benefits. Green tea extract has been used for many purposes – for weight loss, improved brain function, enhanced metabolism, and lower risk of some types of cancer, among others.

24 Sep 2019

African bacterium resists almost all drugs

It looks like it’s time to pay the piper. The first extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strain of Salmonella typhimurium, called ST313 sublineage II.1, has cropped up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This fails to respond to any of the antibiotics that are commonly used in the DRC, except for ciprofloxacin. And to make things worse, one sample has been isolated that shows incomplete response even to this last drug.

22 Sep 2019

Molecular mechanism by which human stomach pathogen is attracted to bleach revealed

Researchers at the University of Oregon have uncovered a molecular mechanism by which the human stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori is attracted to bleach, also known as hypochlorous acid or HOCI.

30 Aug 2019

Virginia Tech professor wins NSF grant to study biofilm formation in bacteria

Should I stay or should I go? This is a common question people ask themselves in their journey through life, but bacteria are also asking the same question.

22 Aug 2019

Preventing parasites from adhering to mosquito guts could stop disease transmission

A group of microorganisms known as kinetoplastids includes the parasites that cause devastating diseases such as African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis.

31 Jul 2019

Bacteria use hopping motion to move among tight spots, Princeton study shows

Current biological models assume that many bacteria spread in a run-and-tumble pattern of diffusion, based on behavior in liquid laboratory cultures.

6 May 2019

Tiny magnetic microrobots could help drug-delivery nanoparticles reach their targets

MIT engineers have designed tiny robots that can help drug-delivery nanoparticles push their way out of the bloodstream and into a tumor or another disease site.

27 Apr 2019

Study finds previously unknown mechanism for microbes to save energy in lean times

In favorable conditions, many bacteria propel themselves to food sources and other sites of interest using whip-like molecular propellers known as flagella.

20 Mar 2019

Johns Hopkins researchers discover swarming behavior in fish-dwelling parasite

Johns Hopkins researchers have observed a previously unrecognized behavior in a single-celled parasite called Spironucleus vortens, which infects ornamental fish such as angelfish: The protozoans swarm.

13 Dec 2018

Protein in cell membranes of sperm plays key role in finding their way to eggs

Researchers have found that a protein in the cell membranes of sperm plays a key role in how they find their way to eggs.

15 Nov 2018

Understanding mosquitoes’ mating behavior is key for developing vector control strategies

The ears of male mosquitoes amplify the sound of an approaching female using a self-generated phantom tone that mimics the female's wingbeats, which increases the ear's acoustic input by a factor of up to 45,000, finds a new UCL-led study.

26 Sep 2018

Female bladder bacteria found to be similar to microbes in the vagina

Scientists and physicians at Loyola University Chicago and Loyola Medicine were the first to publish groundbreaking research that debunked the common belief that urine in healthy women is sterile.

28 Jun 2018

Scientists discover and characterize new toxin in cholera bacteria

The bacterium Vibrio cholerae was discovered more than 150 years ago but remains as one of the main causes of bacterial infectious disease globally, especially in low-income nations where it occurs endemic, and outbreaks of cholera disease can lead to major epidemics.

26 Jun 2018

Study identifies critical role of protein in sperm tail development

The group led by ICREA Research Professor Cayetano Gonzalez at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, in collaboration with Giuliano Callaini's team at the University of Siena in Italy, has published a study in The Journal of Cell Biology that identifies the critical role played by a protein called CENTROBIN in sperm tail development.

11 May 2018

Researchers uncover new insights into bacteria’s sense of touch

Our sense of touch provides us with bits of information about our surroundings that inform the decisions we make. When we touch something, our nervous system transmits signals through nerve endings that feed information to our brain. This enables us to sense the stimulus and take the appropriate action, like drawing back quickly when we touch a hot stovetop.

27 Apr 2018

Study reveals existence of previously unknown immune defense mechanisms in bacteria

Until a decade ago, scientists were not aware that bacteria had complex immune systems – ones that could keep up with the pace of evolution in viruses called phages that infect bacteria.

27 Jan 2018

Scientists use synthetic protein to disrupt bacteria’s ability to perform basic life functions

A synthetic protein that disrupts the ability of bacteria to perform basic life functions-;moving, eating, attaching to hosts-;could be a key to fighting infectious disease and preventing bacteria from evolving into drug-resistant pathogens.