학술지PHYSICAL REVIEW E (2470-0045), 98, 052405-1 ~ 052405-12
등재유형SCI
게재일자 20181119
Multiflagellated bacteria such as E. coli exploit the polymorphic transformations of helical flagella to explore their fluid environment. In these bacteria, a sequence of polymorphic helical forms appears consecutively as the cell “runs” and “tumbles.” During a run, the molecular motors that drive the twirling flagella spin counterclockwise, and the flagella form a normal flagellar bundle. Reversing one or more of these motors, from counterclockwise to clockwise, initiates a tumble by inducing shape transformations of the associated filaments, from normal to semicoiled and then to curly 1 forms. The next run begins when the motors switch back to counterclockwise rotations. This causes the flagella to revert from curly 1 back to normal forms. This paper investigates the dynamics of elastic flagella when one or two flagella undergo a full cycle of polymorphic transformations using a computational method in which the flagellar motors are tethered in space and connected via flexible hooks