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Minamino T, Kinoshita M. Structure, Assembly, and Function of Flagella Responsible for Bacterial Locomotion. EcoSal Plus 2023; 11:eesp00112023. [PMID: 37260402 PMCID: PMC10729930 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0011-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Many motile bacteria use flagella for locomotion under a variety of environmental conditions. Because bacterial flagella are under the control of sensory signal transduction pathways, each cell is able to autonomously control its flagellum-driven locomotion and move to an environment favorable for survival. The flagellum of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a supramolecular assembly consisting of at least three distinct functional parts: a basal body that acts as a bidirectional rotary motor together with multiple force generators, each of which serves as a transmembrane proton channel to couple the proton flow through the channel with torque generation; a filament that functions as a helical propeller that produces propulsion; and a hook that works as a universal joint that transmits the torque produced by the rotary motor to the helical propeller. At the base of the flagellum is a type III secretion system that transports flagellar structural subunits from the cytoplasm to the distal end of the growing flagellar structure, where assembly takes place. In recent years, high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) image analysis has revealed the overall structure of the flagellum, and this structural information has made it possible to discuss flagellar assembly and function at the atomic level. In this article, we describe what is known about the structure, assembly, and function of Salmonella flagella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tohru Minamino
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Miki Kinoshita
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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2
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You Y, Ye F, Mao W, Yang H, Lai J, Deng S. An overview of the structure and function of the flagellar hook FlgE protein. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:126. [PMID: 36941455 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03568-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
The flagellum is an important organelle for the survival of bacteria and consists of a basal body, hook, and filament. The FlgE protein is the subunit of the hook that connects the basal body and the filament and determines the motility of bacteria. Also, flgE gene plays an essential role in flagellar biosynthesis, swimming ability and biofilm formation. Although the intact flagella and the major component filament have been extensively studied, so far, little is known about the comprehensive understanding of flagellar hook and FlgE. Here in this review, we summarize the structures of flagellar hook and its subunit FlgE in various species and physiological functions of FlgE, including the hook assembly, the structural characteristics of flagellar hook, the mechanical properties of hook, and the similarities and differences between FlgE (hook) and FlgG (distal rod), with special attention on the interaction of FlgE with other molecules, the antigenicity and pro-inflammatory effect of FlgE, and cross-linking of FlgE in spirochetes. We hope our summary of this review could provide a better understanding of the FlgE protein and provide some useful information for developing new effective antibacterial drugs in the future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu You
- Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Fei Ye
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wei Mao
- Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jijia Lai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu Office of People's Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Shun Deng
- Sichuan Province Orthopedic Hospital, 132 West First Section First Ring Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
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3
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Structure of the bacterial flagellar hook cap provides insights into a hook assembly mechanism. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1291. [PMID: 34785766 PMCID: PMC8595650 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02796-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Assembly of bacterial flagellar hook requires FlgD, a protein known to form the hook cap. Symmetry mismatch between the hook and the hook cap is believed to drive efficient assembly of the hook in a way similar to the filament cap helping filament assembly. However, the hook cap dependent mechanism of hook assembly has remained poorly understood. Here, we report the crystal structure of the hook cap composed of five subunits of FlgD from Salmonella enterica at 3.3 Å resolution. The pentameric structure of the hook cap is divided into two parts: a stalk region composed of five N-terminal domains; and a petal region containing five C-terminal domains. Biochemical and genetic analyses show that the N-terminal domains of the hook cap is essential for the hook-capping function, and the structure now clearly reveals why. A plausible hook assembly mechanism promoted by the hook cap is proposed based on the structure.
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4
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Morimoto YV, Minamino T. Architecture and Assembly of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor Complex. Subcell Biochem 2021; 96:297-321. [PMID: 33252734 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-58971-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
One of the central systems responsible for bacterial motility is the flagellum. The bacterial flagellum is a macromolecular protein complex that is more than five times the cell length. Flagella-driven motility is coordinated via a chemosensory signal transduction pathway, and so bacterial cells sense changes in the environment and migrate towards more desirable locations. The flagellum of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is composed of a bi-directional rotary motor, a universal joint and a helical propeller. The flagellar motor, which structurally resembles an artificial motor, is embedded within the cell envelop and spins at several hundred revolutions per second. In contrast to an artificial motor, the energy utilized for high-speed flagellar motor rotation is the inward-directed proton flow through a transmembrane proton channel of the stator unit of the flagellar motor. The flagellar motor realizes efficient chemotaxis while performing high-speed movement by an ingenious directional switching mechanism of the motor rotation. To build the universal joint and helical propeller structures outside the cell body, the flagellar motor contains its own protein transporter called a type III protein export apparatus. In this chapter we summarize the structure and assembly of the Salmonella flagellar motor complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke V Morimoto
- Department of Physics and Information Technology, Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 680-4 Kawazu, Iizuka, Fukuoka, 820-8502, Japan
| | - Tohru Minamino
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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5
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Terahara N, Namba K, Minamino T. Dynamic exchange of two types of stator units in Bacillus subtilis flagellar motor in response to environmental changes. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:2897-2907. [PMID: 33163150 PMCID: PMC7595845 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria can migrate towards more suitable environments by rotating flagella that are under the control of sensory signal transduction networks. The bacterial flagellum is composed of the long helical filament functioning as a propeller, the flexible hook as a universal joint and the basal body as a rotary motor powered by ion motive force across the cell membrane. The flagellar motor consists of a rotor and multiple stator units, each of which couples the ion flow through its ion channel with force generation. The flagellar building blocks and motor proteins are highly conserved among bacterial species, but structural and functional diversity of flagella has also been revealed. It has been reported that the structure and function of the flagellar motor of a Gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, differ from those of Escherichia coli and Salmonella. The flagellar motor of the B. subtilis BR151MA strain possesses two distinct types of stator complexes, H+-type MotAB and Na+-type MotPS, around the rotor. These two types of stator units dynamically assemble to and disassemble from the rotor in response to environmental changes such as viscosity and external Na+ concentrations. In this mini-review article, we describe our recent understanding of the structure and dynamics of the B. subtilis flagellar motor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Terahara
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
| | - Keiichi Namba
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- RIKEN Spring-8 Center and Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tohru Minamino
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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Toyotake Y, Nishiyama M, Yokoyama F, Ogawa T, Kawamoto J, Kurihara T. A Novel Lysophosphatidic Acid Acyltransferase of Escherichia coli Produces Membrane Phospholipids with a cis-vaccenoyl Group and Is Related to Flagellar Formation. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E745. [PMID: 32403425 PMCID: PMC7277886 DOI: 10.3390/biom10050745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT) introduces fatty acyl groups into the sn-2 position of membrane phospholipids (PLs). Various bacteria produce multiple LPAATs, whereas it is believed that Escherichia coli produces only one essential LPAAT homolog, PlsC-the deletion of which is lethal. However, we found that E. coli possesses another LPAAT homolog named YihG. Here, we show that overexpression of YihG in E. coli carrying a temperature-sensitive mutation in plsC allowed its growth at non-permissive temperatures. Analysis of the fatty acyl composition of PLs from the yihG-deletion mutant (∆yihG) revealed that endogenous YihG introduces the cis-vaccenoyl group into the sn-2 position of PLs. Loss of YihG did not affect cell growth or morphology, but ∆yihG cells swam well in liquid medium in contrast to wild-type cells. Immunoblot analysis showed that FliC was highly expressed in ∆yihG cells, and this phenotype was suppressed by expression of recombinant YihG in ∆yihG cells. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the flagellar structure was observed only in ∆yihG cells. These results suggest that YihG has specific functions related to flagellar formation through modulation of the fatty acyl composition of membrane PLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Toyotake
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan; (Y.T.); (M.N.); (F.Y.); (T.O.); (J.K.)
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Nishiyama
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan; (Y.T.); (M.N.); (F.Y.); (T.O.); (J.K.)
| | - Fumiaki Yokoyama
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan; (Y.T.); (M.N.); (F.Y.); (T.O.); (J.K.)
| | - Takuya Ogawa
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan; (Y.T.); (M.N.); (F.Y.); (T.O.); (J.K.)
| | - Jun Kawamoto
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan; (Y.T.); (M.N.); (F.Y.); (T.O.); (J.K.)
| | - Tatsuo Kurihara
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan; (Y.T.); (M.N.); (F.Y.); (T.O.); (J.K.)
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The flexible linker of the secreted FliK ruler is required for export switching of the flagellar protein export apparatus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:838. [PMID: 31964971 PMCID: PMC6972891 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57782-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The hook length of the flagellum is controlled to about 55 nm in Salmonella. The flagellar type III protein export apparatus secretes FliK to determine hook length during hook assembly and changes its substrate specificity from the hook protein to the filament protein when the hook length has reached about 55 nm. Salmonella FliK consists of an N-terminal domain (FliKN, residues 1–207), a C-terminal domain (FliKC, residues 268–405) and a flexible linker (FliKL, residues 208–267) connecting these two domains. FliKN is a ruler to measure hook length. FliKC binds to a transmembrane export gate protein FlhB to undergo the export switching. FliKL not only acts as part of the ruler but also contributes to this switching event, but it remains unknown how. Here we report that FliKL is required for efficient interaction of FliKC with FlhB. Deletions in FliKL not only shortened hook length according to the size of deletions but also caused a loose length control. Deletion of residues 206–265 significantly reduced the binding affinity of FliKC for FlhB, thereby producing much longer hooks. We propose that an appropriate length of FliKL is required for efficient interaction of FliKC with FlhB.
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8
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Nakamura S, Hanaizumi Y, Morimoto YV, Inoue Y, Erhardt M, Minamino T, Namba K. Direct observation of speed fluctuations of flagellar motor rotation at extremely low load close to zero. Mol Microbiol 2019; 113:755-765. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuichi Nakamura
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering Tohoku University Sendai Japan
| | - Yuta Hanaizumi
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering Tohoku University Sendai Japan
| | - Yusuke V. Morimoto
- Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Department of Physics and Information Technology Kyushu Institute of Technology Fukuoka Japan
| | - Yumi Inoue
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences Osaka University Osaka Japan
| | - Marc Erhardt
- Institut für Biologie/Bakterienphysiologie Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Tohru Minamino
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences Osaka University Osaka Japan
| | - Keiichi Namba
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences Osaka University Osaka Japan
- RIKEN Spring‐8 Center and Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research Osaka Japan
- JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories Osaka University Osaka Japan
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9
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Kato T, Makino F, Miyata T, Horváth P, Namba K. Structure of the native supercoiled flagellar hook as a universal joint. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5295. [PMID: 31757961 PMCID: PMC6874566 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13252-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bacterial flagellar hook is a short supercoiled tubular structure made from a helical assembly of the hook protein FlgE. The hook acts as a universal joint that connects the flagellar basal body and filament, and smoothly transmits torque generated by the rotary motor to the helical filament propeller. In peritrichously flagellated bacteria, the hook allows the filaments to form a bundle behind the cell for swimming, and for the bundle to fall apart for tumbling. Here we report a native supercoiled hook structure at 3.6 Å resolution by cryoEM single particle image analysis of the polyhook. The atomic model built into the three-dimensional (3D) density map reveals the changes in subunit conformation and intersubunit interactions that occur upon compression and extension of the 11 protofilaments during their smoke ring-like rotation. These observations reveal how the hook functions as a dynamic molecular universal joint with high bending flexibility and twisting rigidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Kato
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Makino
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,JEOL Ltd, 3-2-1 Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo, 196-8558, Japan
| | - Tomoko Miyata
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Péter Horváth
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,National Center of Biotechnology, C/Darwin 3, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Keiichi Namba
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. .,RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research and SPring-8 Center, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. .,JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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10
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Torque transmission mechanism of the curved bacterial flagellar hook revealed by cryo-EM. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2019; 26:941-945. [DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0301-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Structure of Salmonella Flagellar Hook Reveals Intermolecular Domain Interactions for the Universal Joint Function. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9090462. [PMID: 31505847 PMCID: PMC6769732 DOI: 10.3390/biom9090462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a motility organelle consisting of a rotary motor and a long helical filament as a propeller. The flagellar hook is a flexible universal joint that transmits motor torque to the filament in its various orientations that change dynamically between swimming and tumbling of the cell upon switching the motor rotation for chemotaxis. Although the structures of the hook and hook protein FlgE from different bacterial species have been studied, the structure of Salmonella hook, which has been studied most over the years, has not been solved at a high enough resolution to allow building an atomic model of entire FlgE for understanding the mechanisms of self-assembly, stability and the universal joint function. Here we report the structure of Salmonella polyhook at 4.1 Å resolution by electron cryomicroscopy and helical image analysis. The density map clearly revealed folding of the entire FlgE chain forming the three domains D0, D1 and D2 and allowed us to build an atomic model. The model includes domain Dc with a long β-hairpin structure that connects domains D0 and D1 and contributes to the structural stability of the hook while allowing the flexible bending of the hook as a molecular universal joint.
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12
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Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9070279. [PMID: 31337100 PMCID: PMC6680979 DOI: 10.3390/biom9070279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a helical filamentous organelle responsible for motility. In bacterial species possessing flagella at the cell exterior, the long helical flagellar filament acts as a molecular screw to generate thrust. Meanwhile, the flagella of spirochetes reside within the periplasmic space and not only act as a cytoskeleton to determine the helicity of the cell body, but also rotate or undulate the helical cell body for propulsion. Despite structural diversity of the flagella among bacterial species, flagellated bacteria share a common rotary nanomachine, namely the flagellar motor, which is located at the base of the filament. The flagellar motor is composed of a rotor ring complex and multiple transmembrane stator units and converts the ion flux through an ion channel of each stator unit into the mechanical work required for motor rotation. Intracellular chemotactic signaling pathways regulate the direction of flagella-driven motility in response to changes in the environments, allowing bacteria to migrate towards more desirable environments for their survival. Recent experimental and theoretical studies have been deepening our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the flagellar motor. In this review article, we describe the current understanding of the structure and dynamics of the bacterial flagellum.
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Sakai T, Miyata T, Terahara N, Mori K, Inoue Y, Morimoto YV, Kato T, Namba K, Minamino T. Novel Insights into Conformational Rearrangements of the Bacterial Flagellar Switch Complex. mBio 2019; 10:e00079-19. [PMID: 30940700 PMCID: PMC6445934 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00079-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The flagellar motor can spin in both counterclockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) directions. The flagellar motor consists of a rotor and multiple stator units, which act as a proton channel. The rotor is composed of the transmembrane MS ring made of FliF and the cytoplasmic C ring consisting of FliG, FliM, and FliN. The C ring is directly involved in rotation and directional switching. The Salmonella FliF-FliG deletion fusion motor missing 56 residues from the C terminus of FliF and 94 residues from the N terminus of FliG keeps a domain responsible for the interaction with the stator intact, but its motor function is reduced significantly. Here, we report the structure and function of the FliF-FliG deletion fusion motor. The FliF-FliG deletion fusion not only resulted in a strong CW switch bias but also affected rotor-stator interactions coupled with proton translocation through the proton channel of the stator unit. The energy coupling efficiency of the deletion fusion motor was the same as that of the wild-type motor. Extragenic suppressor mutations in FliG, FliM, or FliN not only relieved the strong CW switch bias but also increased the motor speed at low load. The FliF-FliG deletion fusion made intersubunit interactions between C ring proteins tighter compared to the wild-type motor, whereas the suppressor mutations affect such tighter intersubunit interactions. We propose that a change of intersubunit interactions between the C ring proteins may be required for high-speed motor rotation as well as direction switching.IMPORTANCE The bacterial flagellar motor is a bidirectional rotary motor for motility and chemotaxis, which often plays an important role in infection. The motor is a large transmembrane protein complex composed of a rotor and multiple stator units, which also act as a proton channel. Motor torque is generated through their cyclic association and dissociation coupled with proton translocation through the proton channel. A large cytoplasmic ring of the motor, called C ring, is responsible for rotation and switching by interacting with the stator, but the mechanism remains unknown. By analyzing the structure and function of the wild-type motor and a mutant motor missing part of the C ring connecting itself with the transmembrane rotor ring while keeping a stator-interacting domain for bidirectional torque generation intact, we found interesting clues to the change in the C ring conformation for the switching and rotation involving loose and tight intersubunit interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomofumi Sakai
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoko Miyata
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naoya Terahara
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Koichiro Mori
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yumi Inoue
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yusuke V Morimoto
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kato
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keiichi Namba
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tohru Minamino
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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