Typical bacterial flagellum structure contains three components: the basal body, the hook and the filament. Like typical bacteria, Vibrio spp, have these three components, but with increased complexity in the basal body. In addition, Vibrio spp. use five or six distinct flagellum subunits to construct the flagellar filament, rather than the single flagellin found in many other bacteria. In Vibrio spp, most have a single flagellum located on one pole of the bacterium, although some species have additional flagella in peritrichous or lophotrichous arrangements. Another difference is that the gradient used to power the flagellar motor is sodium driven rather than proton driven; this creates greater torque, and Vibrio flagella have been shown to rotate over five times faster than the H+-driven flagella of E. coli. The flagellum is also surrounded by a sheath extending from the membrane. The purpose of this sheath has yet to be determined.Echazarreta MA, Klose KE. Vibrio Flagellar Synthesis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2019 May 1;9:131. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00131. PMID: 31119103; PMCID: PMC6504787.
