Research Article Open Access

Structural Characterization at the Atomic Level of a Molecular Nano-Machine: The State of the Art of Helicobacter Pylori Flagellum Organization

Ivana Pulić1, Valentina Loconte2 and Giuseppe Zanotti2
  • 1 University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • 2 University of Padua, Italy

Abstract

Motility is fundamental for success in colonization and survival of the human pathogen H. pylori, the bacterium that colonizes about half of the human population. Motility is achieved through flagella. In this review the present structural knowledge about the organization of H. pylori flagella is summarized, considering not only the structure of its proteins, but also what is known about flagella of other Gram-negative bacteria. Despite the limited amount of structural information about the H. pylori nano-machinery, sequence alignments and homology modeling allow to investigate the unique structural properties of several H. pylori flagellar proteins.

American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Volume 10 No. 3, 2014, 143-161

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ajbbsp.2014.143.161

Submitted On: 16 October 2014 Published On: 12 November 2014

How to Cite: Pulić, I., Loconte, V. & Zanotti, G. (2014). Structural Characterization at the Atomic Level of a Molecular Nano-Machine: The State of the Art of Helicobacter Pylori Flagellum Organization. American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 10(3), 143-161. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajbbsp.2014.143.161

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Keywords

  • Helicobacter Pylori
  • Flagellum
  • Motility
  • Secretion System