[Polymerization of bacterial flagellar flagellin in the presence of polyethyleneglycol]

Polymerization of flagellin from the flagella of Bacillus brevis in the presence of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) with molecular weight varying from 400 to 40 000 was studied. When 10% PEG2000-6000 was used, polymerization was completed within 5 min. When PEG with higher molecular weights were used, their higher concentrations were necessary. Polymerization of flagellin in the presence of PEG400-600 did not practically differ from that without PEG. At flagellin concentrations up to 0.1 mg/ml the polymerization process with PEG also occurred at a very high rate. Polymerization of flagellin obtained by heating of bacterial flagella in the presence of PEG did not require exogenous primer. A possible mechanism of flagellin polymerization in the presence of PEG is discussed.