AUTHOR=Zhu Shiwei , Kojima Seiji , Homma Michio 

TITLE=Structure, gene regulation and environmental response of flagella in Vibrio

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=4

YEAR=2013

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2013.00410

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2013.00410

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Vibrio</italic> species are Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that live in aqueous environments. Several species, such as <italic>V. harveyi</italic>, <italic>V. alginotyticus</italic>, and <italic>V. splendidus</italic>, are associated with diseases in fish or shellfish. In addition, a few species, such as <italic>V. cholerae</italic> and <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic>, are risky for humans due to infections from eating raw shellfish infected with these bacteria or from exposure of wounds to the marine environment. Bacterial flagella are not essential to live in a culture medium. However, most <italic>Vibrio</italic> species are motile and have rotating flagella which allow them to move into favorable environments or to escape from unfavorable environments. This review summarizes recent studies about the flagellar structure, function, and regulation of <italic>Vibrio</italic> species, especially focused on the Na<sup>+</sup>-driven polar flagella that are principally responsible for motility and sensing the surrounding environment, and discusses the relationship between flagella and pathogenicity.</p>