The discovery of a third form of flagella-mediated motility in symbiotic bacteria

Professor Takayuki Nishizaka and Dr. Yoshiaki Kinosita from Gakushuin University, together with Dr. Yoshitomo Kikuchi from AIST, have discovered an unforeseen form of flagella-mediated motility shown by pest bean bug symbionts, which entails swimming by wrapping their flagellar filaments around their cell bodies. Bacteria with this form of flagella-mediated motility were able to traverse glass surfaces, so this form of movement is most likely effective on extracellular matrix surfaces.