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From The Origin of Species to the origin of bacterial flagella

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 4, pages 784–790 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

In the recent Dover trial, and elsewhere, the 'Intelligent Design' movement has championed the bacterial flagellum as an irreducibly complex system that, it is claimed, could not have evolved through natural selection. Here we explore the arguments in favour of viewing bacterial flagella as evolved, rather than designed, entities. We dismiss the need for any great conceptual leaps in creating a model of flagellar evolution and speculate as to how an experimental programme focused on this topic might look.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D. Blair, P. Aldridge and R. Berry for critical comments on this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Immunity & Infection, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    Mark J. Pallen

  2. National Center for Science Education, Oakland, 94609?2509, California, USA

    Nicholas J. Matzke

Authors
  1. Mark J. Pallen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark J. Pallen.

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Competing interests

Nicholas J. Matzke is employed by the National Center for Science Education, a not-for-profit organization that defends the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Related links

Related links

DATABASES

Entrez Genome Project

Aquifex aeolicus

Brucella melitensis

Chromobacterium violaceum

Desulfotalea psychrophila

Edwardsiella ictaluri

Escherichia coli

Myxococcus xanthus

Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Shewanella baltica

Sinorhizobium meliloti

Sodalis glossinidius

Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Yersinia bercovieri

Yersinia frederiksenii

FURTHER INFORMATION

Mark Pallen's homepage

Evolution in (Brownian) space: a model for the origin of the bacterial flagellum

Kitzmiller versus Dover trial information

Ken Miller's 'the flagellum unspun'

Nanotechnology Researchers Network Center of Japan

The Minnich and Miller expert witness reports

The Minnich and Miller expert witness reports

Talk Reason

The Pandas Thumb

The Talk. Origins Archive

Glossary

β-clip domain

A fold found in a diverse group of protein domains typified by the presence of two characteristic waist-like constrictions, flanking a central extended region. The flagellar P-ring protein FlgA and type IV pilus assembly protein CpaB are two examples of β-clip-domain-containing proteins.

Chemotaxis

A behavioural response by bacteria whereby a bacterial cell senses a chemical gradient and moves towards or away from the chemical stimulus.

Essentialism

Also referred to as typology. The idea that a specific kind of entity can be defined by an invariant essence. A triangle illustrates essentialism: all triangles have the same fundamental characteristics and are sharply delimited against quadrangles or any other geometric figures. An intermediate between a triangle and a quadrangle is inconceivable. Typological thinking is however unable to accommodate the profligate variation that occurs in biology.

Establishment clause

A clause from the First Amendment to the American Constitution that states that: 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion'. This is now interpreted to forbid any state funding of religious education in the United States.

Intelligent design

(ID). The concept that some aspects of the natural universe are better explained by an intelligent cause rather than by an undirected process such as natural selection.

Irreducible complexity

The notion that some biological systems are so complex that they could not function if they were any simpler, and so could not have been formed by successive additions to a precursor system with the same functionality.

Occam's razor

The principle that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible.

Proton-motive force

Storage of energy as a combination of a proton and voltage gradient across the bacterial inner membrane. The proton-motive force is exploited by the membrane-associated F-type ATPase to generate ATP, and by the flagellar motor to generate torque. In some bacteria, an analogous sodium-motive force drives flagellar rotation.

SpoA domain

A β-sheet domain found at the C terminus of flagellar proteins FliM and FliN and non-flagellar T3SS proteins such as YscQ and HrcQb.

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Pallen, M., Matzke, N. From The Origin of Species to the origin of bacterial flagella. Nat Rev Microbiol 4, 784–790 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1493

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