Which is a key feature of spirochete motility?

Spirochete motility is characterized by the presence of endoflagella, which are also known as axial filaments. These endoflagella are located within the periplasmic space of the bacterial cell, wrapped around the cell body. When these filaments rotate, they cause the entire spirochete to move in a corkscrew-like manner. This unique form of locomotion is particularly effective for spirochetes in navigating through viscous environments, such as the connective tissues of host organisms.

Endoflagella enable spirochetes to be highly mobile in a way that differs significantly from other types of bacterial motility. The structure allows for a distinctive movement that contributes to the pathogenicity of many spirochetes, facilitating their invasion and spread within host tissues. The corkscrew motion is not only effective in mobility but also aids in evasion from the immune response, making spirochetes well adapted to their environments, whether in soil or as pathogens in humans and animals.

While other forms of motility, such as cilia or pseudopodia, are characteristics of different types of microorganisms, spirochetes uniquely rely on the structural and functional properties of endoflagella for their movement