identifier: traitmech:000056
label: flagellar arrangement
definition: A morphology trait describing the number and spatial distribution of flagella
  on a cell (the flagellation pattern), e.g. monotrichous, lophotrichous, amphitrichous,
  or peritrichous.
definition_source: DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuv034
trait_category: MORPHOLOGY
term_kind: CLASS
mapping_status: REVIEWED
parent_traits:
- METPO:1000704
synonyms:
- synonym_text: flagellation pattern
  synonym_type: RELATED_SYNONYM
  source: DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuv034
evidence:
- reference: DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuv034
  notes: Schuhmacher, Thormann & Bange describe how bacteria maintain a regular number
    and cellular location of flagella (the flagellation pattern); parent of the specific
    arrangement sub-variants.
- reference: DOI:10.3390/biom9070279
  notes: Bacterial flagellum review supports the flagellum as the locomotory organelle
    whose number and placement define flagellar arrangement.
causal_graphs:
- graph_id: flagellar_arrangement_flhf_flhg
  title: Flagellar arrangement set by FlhF/FlhG flagellation pattern
  description: Evidence-backed causal sketch linking FlhF/FlhG-regulated flagellar
    placement to the cellular flagellation pattern.
  nodes:
  - node_id: flagellar_arrangement_trait
    label: flagellar arrangement
    node_type: TRAIT
    grounding: traitmech:000056
    description: Number and spatial distribution of flagella on the cell.
  - node_id: bacterial_flagellum
    label: bacterial-type flagellum
    node_type: CELLULAR_LOCALIZATION
    grounding: GO:0009288
    description: Helical proteinaceous locomotory organelle of bacteria.
  - node_id: flhf_flhg_regulation
    label: FlhF/FlhG flagellar placement regulation
    node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS
    description: Regulatory system setting flagellar number and cellular position.
  - node_id: flhf
    label: FlhF
    node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN
    description: SRP-type GTPase that marks the future flagellar assembly site and
      directs MS-ring protein FliF to the cell pole.
    grounding: UniProtKB:A0A656AC42
  - node_id: flhg
    label: FlhG
    node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN
    description: MinD-type ATPase that stimulates FlhF GTPase activity and limits/positions
      flagellar number.
    grounding: UniProtKB:Q2N2M1
  - node_id: flif_msring
    label: FliF (MS-ring protein)
    node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN
    description: MS-ring forming protein recruited to the cell pole as the earliest
      basal-body assembly step.
  - node_id: flig
    label: FliG
    node_type: GENE_OR_PROTEIN
    description: C-ring switch protein bound by FlhF and engaging FliF during basal-body
      assembly.
    grounding: UniProtKB:A0A016XEK1
  - node_id: cell_pole
    label: cell pole
    node_type: CELLULAR_LOCALIZATION
    description: Polar region of the bacterial cell where flagellar assembly is nucleated.
    grounding: GO:0060187
  - node_id: flagellar_assembly_site_marking
    label: marking of future flagellar assembly site
    node_type: BIOLOGICAL_PROCESS
    description: Spatial designation of the future flagellar assembly site that precedes
      basal-body assembly.
  edges:
  - subject: bacterial_flagellum
    predicate: defines
    object: flagellar_arrangement_trait
    description: The cellular distribution of flagella defines the arrangement.
    evidence:
    - reference: DOI:10.3390/biom9070279
      notes: Bacterial flagellum review supports the flagellum as the locomotory organelle
        whose number and placement define the arrangement.
    predicate_id: METPO:2007500
  - subject: flhf_flhg_regulation
    predicate: regulates
    object: flagellar_arrangement_trait
    description: FlhF/FlhG set the species-specific flagellation pattern.
    evidence:
    - reference: DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuv034
      notes: Schuhmacher et al. describe FlhF/FlhG governance of the flagellation
        pattern.
    predicate_id: RO:0002211
  - subject: flhg
    predicate: stimulates GTPase activity of
    object: flhf
    description: FlhG stimulates the GTPase activity of FlhF, a conserved core regulatory
      interaction governing flagellar placement.
    evidence:
    - reference: DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-50274-4
      notes: 'Dornes 2024: "FlhG acts on FlhF by stimulating its GTPase activity"
        - conserved core regulatory edge.'
  - subject: flhf
    predicate: directs to cell pole
    object: flif_msring
    description: FlhF is required to direct the initial MS-ring protein FliF to the
      cell pole, nucleating basal-body assembly.
    evidence:
    - reference: DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-50274-4
      notes: 'Dornes 2024: "FlhF... is required to direct the initial MS-ring protein
        FliF to the cell pole."'
  - subject: flhf
    predicate: binds
    object: flig
    description: FlhF binds FliG, coupling the placement regulator to C-ring/MS-ring
      assembly.
    evidence:
    - reference: DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-50274-4
      notes: 'Dornes 2024: FlhF B-domain (FliG Interaction Domain) is necessary and
        sufficient for FliG binding.'
  - subject: flig
    predicate: engages / recruits
    object: flif_msring
    description: FlhF-bound FliG engages the MS-ring protein FliF, recruiting a FliF-FliG
      complex to the pole.
    evidence:
    - reference: DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-50274-4
      notes: 'Dornes 2024: "FlhF-bound FliG then engages the MS-ring protein FliF,
        recruiting a FliF-FliG complex to the pole."'
  - subject: flhf
    predicate: establishes
    object: flagellar_assembly_site_marking
    description: FlhF marks the future flagellar assembly site, after which basal-body
      assembly proceeds.
    evidence:
    - reference: DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuv034
      notes: 'Schuhmacher 2015: "After FlhF marked the future flagellar site, assembly
        of the basal body will proceed."'
  - subject: flagellar_assembly_site_marking
    predicate: occurs at
    object: cell_pole
    description: The marking of the future flagellar assembly site localizes basal-body
      building blocks to the cell pole.
    evidence:
    - reference: DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuv034
      notes: 'Schuhmacher 2015: FlhF B-domain recruits MS-ring component FliF to the
        cell pole.'
curation_history:
- timestamp: '2026-06-03T00:00:00Z'
  curator: claude
  action: PROPOSED_FROM_RESEARCH
  changes: Proposed candidate MORPHOLOGY axis class (flagellar arrangement) under
    the existing flagellated class (METPO:1000704); parent of monotrichous/lophotrichous/
    amphitrichous/peritrichous.
  llm_assisted: true
- timestamp: '2026-06-09T15:00:00Z'
  curator: claude
  action: CURATED_CAUSAL_GRAPH
  changes: Added evidence-backed causal graph (FlhF/FlhG flagellation pattern) with
    GO node grounding and RO/METPO predicate groundings; promoted PROPOSED to REVIEWED.
  llm_assisted: true
- timestamp: '2026-06-23T00:00:00Z'
  curator: claude
  action: ENRICH_CAUSAL_GRAPH
  changes: Added 6 evidence-backed generic edges (6 new nodes) from the deep-research
    report.
  llm_assisted: true
- timestamp: '2026-06-24T17:23:33Z'
  curator: claude
  action: GROUND_CAUSAL_NODES
  changes: Grounded 1 causal-node grounding field(s) via mappings/node_grounding.tsv
    (GO:0060187×1).
  llm_assisted: true
- timestamp: '2026-06-26T07:15:19Z'
  curator: claude
  action: GROUND_CAUSAL_NODES
  changes: Grounded 3 causal-node grounding field(s) via mappings/node_grounding.tsv
    (UniProtKB:A0A656AC42×1, UniProtKB:Q2N2M1×1, UniProtKB:A0A016XEK1×1).
  llm_assisted: true