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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Generation of Null Mutants to Elucidate the Role of Bacterial Glycosyltransferases in Bacterial Motility
Published on: March 11, 2022
The role of motility as a virulence factor in bacteria
Christine Josenhans1, Sebastian Suerbaum
1Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Würzburg University, Germany. cjosenhans@hygiene.uni-wuerzburg.de
Abstract:
Many bacteria that cause diseases of humans, animals and plants use flagella to move. This review summarises recent studies that have analysed the role of motility and chemotaxis in the host-parasite relationship of pathogenic bacteria. These studies have shown that for many pathogens, motility is essential in some phases of their life cycle and that virulence and motility are often intimately linked by complex regulatory networks. Possibilities to exploit bacterial motility as a specific therapeutic antibacterial target to cure or prevent disease are discussed.
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