title: Length control of extended protein structures in bacteria and bacteriophages.
abstract: The length of the tail of bacteriophages is controlled by a protein which acts as a molecular ruler. The needle of the injectisome, which is assembled by the polymerization of subunits that are exported through the nascent injectisome, is functionally related to the tail of bacteriophages. Interestingly, its length is controlled by a protein, which is itself exported and acts as a molecular ruler that is coupled to a substrate specificity switch. The bacterial flagellum is evolutionarily related to the injectisome. The length of the hook is also controlled by a secreted protein. This protein acts as a substrate specificity switch and, possibly, also as a ruler.
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland. guy.cornelis@unibas.ch
authors.forename: Guy R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Cornelis
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agrain
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sorg
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017376:Viral Tail Proteins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D017376:Viral Tail Proteins