title: Pathogens: bacterial needles ruled to length and specificity.
abstract: The mechanisms behind length regulation of prokaryotic surface structures has long eluded microbiologists. The recent identification of a protein that functions as a 'molecular ruler' to determine the physical length of a bacterial extracellular needle advances our understanding of surface structure biogenesis.
authors.affiliation: The University of British Columbia, Biotechnology Laboratory, Vancouver, BC, Canada. nthomas@interchange.ubc.ca
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Finlay
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D022081:Cell Surface Extensions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000166:cytology*; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C479925:YscP protein, Yersinia enterocolitica