identifier: METPO:1000670 label: curved shaped definition: A cell shape in which an organism has a bent or curved cell body rather than a straight rod or sphere. definition_source: DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002565 trait_category: MORPHOLOGY term_kind: CLASS mapping_status: REVIEWED parent_traits: - METPO:1000666 synonyms: - synonym_text: S_curved_spiral synonym_type: RELATED_SYNONYM source: metpo.owl - synonym_text: curved-shaped synonym_type: RELATED_SYNONYM source: metpo.owl created_by: Anthea Guo evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002565 snippet: curved cells appear to be optimized for motility notes: Supports curved cells as a recognized bacterial morphology with possible functional associations. canonical_examples: - taxon_id: NCBITaxon:666 taxon_label: Vibrio cholerae note: "comma/curved rod" reference: DOI:10.1111/j.1574-6968.2001.tb10629.x - taxon_id: NCBITaxon:155892 taxon_label: Caulobacter vibrioides note: "curved (vibrioid) cell" reference: PMID:19383443 causal_graphs: - graph_id: curved_shaped_scaffolded_curvature title: Curved-shape scaffolded morphogenesis mechanism description: Evidence-backed causal sketch linking curved bacterial morphology to scaffold-mediated inner curvature and spatially biased peptidoglycan growth. nodes: - node_id: curved_shaped_trait label: curved shaped node_type: TRAIT grounding: METPO:1000670 description: Bent or curved bacterial cell-body morphology. - node_id: curvature_scaffold label: curvature scaffold node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN description: Shape-determining scaffold such as crescentin or CrvA that marks the inner curve. - node_id: inner_cell_curvature label: inner cell curvature node_type: CELLULAR_LOCALIZATION description: Concave region of a curved bacterial cell body. - node_id: peptidoglycan_growth_pattern label: peptidoglycan growth pattern node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Spatial pattern of wall synthesis and remodeling that shapes the cell body. - node_id: cell_body_curvature label: cell-body curvature node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Curving of the bacterial cell body. - node_id: mreb_cytoskeletal_guidance label: MreB cytoskeletal guidance node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN description: Actin-like protein MreB that localizes to curvature regions and directs localized cell-wall synthesis. - node_id: zonal_peptidoglycan_remodeling label: spatially constrained (zonal) peptidoglycan remodeling node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Spatially constrained ("zonal") cell-wall growth and remodeling through which shape determinants act. - node_id: motility_in_viscous_environments label: motility in viscous environments node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Cell motility, especially efficient swimming through viscous solutions. - node_id: surface_colonization_motility_virulence label: surface colonization, motility and virulence node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS description: Fitness-relevant processes (surface colonization, motility in viscous environments, virulence) promoted by curved/helical shape. edges: - subject: curvature_scaffold predicate: localizes to object: inner_cell_curvature description: Curvature scaffolds mark or constrain the inner curve of the cell. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002565 snippet: scaffold-mediated delineation of an inner curvature notes: Supports a common structural theme for curved and helical cells. predicate_id: biolink:located_in - subject: curvature_scaffold predicate: guides object: peptidoglycan_growth_pattern description: Curvature scaffolds bias wall growth or structural constraints along the inner curve. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002565 snippet: guide PG synthesis notes: Supports scaffold-guided peptidoglycan synthesis as a curvature mechanism in representative bacteria. - subject: peptidoglycan_growth_pattern predicate: generates object: cell_body_curvature description: Spatially patterned wall growth or constraint generates cell-body curvature. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2016.12.019 snippet: asymmetrically patterns peptidoglycan insertion notes: Vibrio evidence supports asymmetric PG insertion as one concrete route to curved rods. predicate_id: biolink:produces - subject: cell_body_curvature predicate: produces object: curved_shaped_trait description: Cell-body curvature produces the curved-shape trait. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002565 snippet: vibrioid (curved) morphology notes: Supports curved morphology as a recognized bacterial cell-shape class. predicate_id: METPO:2000202 - subject: mreb_cytoskeletal_guidance predicate: directs object: peptidoglycan_growth_pattern description: MreB localizes to specific curvature regions and directs localized cell-wall synthesis, supporting scaffold-guided PG remodeling. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.3389/fmicb.2017.01264 notes: the actin-like protein MreB localizes to specific curvature regions and directs localized cell-wall synthesis (broad mechanistic class). predicate_id: RO:0002211 - subject: peptidoglycan_growth_pattern predicate: occurs via object: zonal_peptidoglycan_remodeling description: Because PG synthesis is constrained in space, all cell-wall growth and remodeling is "zonal", the route through which shape determinants act. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002565 notes: Because PG synthesis is constrained in space, all cell wall growth and remodeling can be described as "zonal" growth. - subject: curved_shaped_trait predicate: optimized for object: motility_in_viscous_environments description: Curved/helical morphology appears optimized for motility, especially in viscous solutions (broad expert synthesis). evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1002565 notes: helical and curved cells appear to be optimized for motility, especially in viscous solutions. - subject: curved_shaped_trait predicate: promotes object: surface_colonization_motility_virulence description: Curved and helical shapes are widespread among bacteria, promoting surface colonization, motility in viscous environments and virulence. evidence: - reference: DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-51790-z notes: curved and helical cell shapes ... are widespread among bacteria, promoting surface colonization, motility in viscous environments, and virulence. predicate_id: RO:0002213 curation_history: - timestamp: '2026-05-05T01:35:46.887107+00:00' curator: seed_from_metpo action: SEEDED_FROM_METPO changes: imported from data/raw/metpo.owl (CLASS) llm_assisted: false - timestamp: '2026-05-11T18:00:00-07:00' curator: codex action: CURATED_WITH_LITERATURE changes: Reviewed curved shape and added DOI-backed causal graph for curvature scaffolds, inner curvature, and spatial peptidoglycan growth. llm_assisted: true - timestamp: '2026-05-20T03:35:31Z' curator: claude action: GROUND_CAUSAL_PREDICATES changes: Grounded 1 causal-edge predicate_id field(s) via mappings/predicate_grounding.tsv (METPO:2000202×1). llm_assisted: true - timestamp: '2026-05-23T08:21:50Z' curator: claude action: GROUND_CAUSAL_PREDICATES changes: Grounded 2 causal-edge predicate_id field(s) via mappings/predicate_grounding.tsv (biolink:located_in×1, biolink:produces×1). llm_assisted: true - timestamp: '2026-06-23T00:00:00Z' curator: claude action: ENRICH_CAUSAL_GRAPH changes: Added 4 evidence-backed generic edges (4 new nodes) from the deep-research report. llm_assisted: true - timestamp: '2026-06-24T17:21:13Z' curator: claude action: GROUND_CAUSAL_PREDICATES changes: Grounded 2 causal-edge predicate_id field(s) via mappings/predicate_grounding.tsv (RO:0002211×1, RO:0002213×1). llm_assisted: true