Flagella are essential and multifunctional nanomachines that not only move symbionts towards their tissue colonization site, but also play multiple roles in communicating with the host. Thus, untangling the activities of flagella in reaching, interacting, and signaling the host, as well as in biofilm formation and the establishment of a persistent colonization, is a complex problem. The squid–vibrio system offers a unique model to study the many ways that bacterial flagella can influence a beneficial association and, generally, other bacteria–host interactions. Vibrio fischeri is a bioluminescent bacterium that colonizes the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes. Over the last 15 years, the structure, assembly, and functions of V. fischeri flagella, including not only motility and chemotaxis, but also biofilm formation and symbiotic signaling, have been revealed. Here we discuss these discoveries in the perspective of other host–bacteria interactions.

鞭毛是重要的多功能纳米机器，不仅可以将共生体移向其组织定殖位点，而且在与宿主沟通方面发挥多种作用。因此，解开鞭毛在到达宿主、与宿主相互作用和向宿主发出信号方面的活动，以及在生物膜形成和持久定植的建立方面的活动，是一个复杂的问题。鱿鱼-弧菌系统提供了一个独特的模型来研究细菌鞭毛影响有益关联以及其他细菌-宿主相互作用的多种方式。费氏弧菌是一种生物发光细菌，寄生在夏威夷短尾乌贼Euprymna scolopes中。在过去 15 年中，费氏弧菌鞭毛的结构、组装和功能，不仅包括运动性和趋化性，还包括生物膜形成和共生信号传导，均已被揭示。在这里，我们从其他宿主与细菌相互作用的角度讨论这些发现。