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Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Biophysical Characterization of Flagellar Motor Functions
Published on: January 18, 2017
Structural basis of bacterial flagellar motor rotation and switching
Yunjie Chang1, Brittany L Carroll1, Jun Liu1
1Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA; Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
Abstract:
The bacterial flagellar motor, a remarkable rotary machine, can rapidly switch between counterclockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) rotational directions to control the migration behavior of the bacterial cell. The flagellar motor consists of a bidirectional spinning rotor surrounded by torque-generating stator units. Recent high-resolution in vitro and in situ structural studies have revealed stunning details of the individual components of the flagellar motor and their interactions in both the CCW and CW senses. In this review, we discuss these structures and their implications for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying flagellar rotation and switching.
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