Abstract
Swimming speed (v) and flagellar-bundle rotation rate (f) of Salmonella typhimurium, which has peritrichous flagella, were simultaneously measured by laser dark-field microscopy (LDM). Clear periodic changes in the LDM signals from a rotating bundle indicated in-phase rotation of the flagella in the bundle. A roughly linear relation between v and f was observed, though the data points were widely distributed. The ratio of v to f (v-f ratio), which indicates the propulsive distance during one flagellar rotation, was 0.27 μm (11% of the flagellar pitch) on average. The experimental v-f ratio was twice as large as the calculated one on the assumption that a cell had a single flagellum. A flagellar bundle was considered to propel a cell more efficiently than a single flagellum.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 125-129 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | FEMS Microbiology Letters |
Volume | 199 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2001 May 15 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Flagellar rotation rate
- Laser dark-field microscopy
- Salmonella typhimurium
- Swimming speed
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics