Biophysical Society Thematic Meeting | Ascona 2026

Mechanobiology of Infection

Monday Speaker Abstracts

WHEN ANCIENTS MEET MODERNS: TWO CONTRASTING PERSPECTIVES ON INITIAL CONTACT BETWEEN BACTERIA AND MARINE INVERTEBRATES Gerard Wong University of California, Los Angeles, USA

No Abstract

TORQUE TRANSMISSION THROUGH THE HOOK AND ITS ROLE IN BUNDLING IN E. COLI Silvio Bianchi ; Filippo Saglimbeni 1 ; Giacomo Frangipane 2 ; Maria Cristina Cannarsa 2 ; Roberto Di Leonardo 2 ;

1 CNR-NANOTEC, Soft and Living Matter, Rome, Italy 2 Sapienza University of Rome, Physics, Rome, Italy

In Escherichia coli, flagellar motors drive the rotation of helical flagella, enabling propulsion. The torque is transmitted through a deformable, flexible hook that serves as the joint between the motor and the flagellum. This torque transfer mechanism has often been oversimplified or overlooked in previous models. Here, we investigate the intricate dynamics of torque transmission by observing both the rotation/precession of flagella and the motion of an attached micron-sized load using fluorescently labeled flagella. By employing optical tweezers and microfabrication to control bacterial body motion, we demonstrate that the flexibility of the hook and the torque transfer process are critical for the alignment of the flagella.

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