Makishima S, Komoriya K, Yamaguchi S, Aizawa S I
Department of Biosciences, Teikyo University, 1-1 Toyosatodai, Utsunomiya 320-8551, Japan.
Science. 2001 Mar 23;291(5512):2411-3. doi: 10.1126/science.1058366. Epub 2001 Feb 22.
Length determination in biology generally uses molecular rulers. The hook, a part of the flagellum of motile bacteria, has an invariant length. Here, we examined hook length and found that it was determined not by molecular rulers but probably by the amount of subunit protein secreted by the flagellar export apparatus. The export apparatus shares common features with the type III virulence-factor secretion machinery and thus may be used more widely in length determination of structures other than flagella.
生物学中的长度测定通常使用分子标尺。钩是运动性细菌鞭毛的一部分，具有恒定的长度。在此，我们检测了钩的长度，发现它不是由分子标尺决定的，而是可能由鞭毛输出装置分泌的亚基蛋白的量决定的。该输出装置与III型毒力因子分泌机制具有共同特征，因此可能在鞭毛以外的其他结构的长度测定中得到更广泛的应用。
