Incomplete flagellar structures in nonflagellate mutants of Salmonella typhimurium.

Incomplete flagellar structures were detected in osmotically shocked cells or membrane-associated fraction of many nonflagellate mutants of Salmonella typhimurium by electron microscopy. The predominant types of these structures in the mutants were cistron specific. The incomplete basal bodies were detected in flaFI, flaFIV, flaFVIII, and flaFIX mutants, the structure homologous to a basal body in flaFV mutants, the polyhook-basal body complex in flaR mutants, and the hook-basal body complex in flaL and flaU mutants. No structures homologous to flagellar bases or their parts were detected in the early-fla group nonflagellate mutants of flaAI, flaAII, flaAIII, flaB, flaC, flaD, flaE, flaFII, flaFIII, flaFVI, flaFVII, flaFX, flaK, and flaM. From these observations, a process of flagellar morphogenesis was postulated. The functions of the early-fla group are essential to the formation of S ring-M ring-rod complexes bound to the membrane. The completion of basal bodies requires succeeding functions of flaFI, flaFIV, flaFVIII, and flaFIX. Next, the formation of hooks attached to basal bodies proceeds by the function of flaFV and by flaR, which controls the hook length. Flagellar filaments appear at the tips of hooks because of the functions of flaL, flaU, and flagellin genes.