Bacterial flagellar motility (None in standard use; sometimes abbreviated informally as "BF" in literature, but this is not canonical)

Bacterial flagellar motility is driven by the rotation of flagella—complex, self-assembling protein organelles extending from the cell body. The flagellum consists of a basal body (rotary motor), a flexible hook (universal joint), and a helical filament (propeller). The motor converts an electrochemical ion gradient (usually protons or sodium ions) into mechanical rotation, achieving speeds up to thousands of revolutions per second with remarkable efficiency. The directionality and speed of rotation are regulated by the chemotaxis signaling pathway, where proteins like CheY modulate motor switching to control cell movement in response to environmental cues. The flagellar system is essential for bacterial adaptation, colonization, and infection, making its components potential therapeutic targets, although "bacterial flagellar motility" itself is not a single molecular target.

Other names

Bacterial swimmingflagellar movementflagellum-powered motility

Inhibition or disruption of the assembly/function of flagellar motor proteins (e.g., MotA/B, FliG, FlgE), blocking ion channels driving rotation, interfering with export apparatus or switching regulation