How bacteria build the molecular bushing of the flagellar motor

The bacterial flagellum is a motility organelle that enables bacteria to swim and is composed of more than 30 different proteins. Researchers have long sought to understand how this complex nanomachine self-assembles from many parts in the correct order and at the correct positions. In a study published in Communications Biology, a research team at the University of Osaka revealed the mechanism by which the flagellar motor assembles its bushing around the drive shaft.