Adaptive remodelling by FliN in the bacterial rotary motor

Structure and Assembly of the Proteus mirabilis Flagellar Motor by Cryo-Electron Tomography

Proteus mirabilis is a Gram-negative Gammaproteobacterium and a major causative agent of urinary tract infections in humans. It is characterized by its ability to switch between swimming motility in liquid media and swarming on solid surfaces. Here, we used cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging to reveal the structure of the flagellar motor of P. mirabilis at nanometer resolution in intact cells. We found that P. mirabilis has a motor that is structurally similar to those of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica, lacking the periplasmic elaborations that characterize other more specialized gammaproteobacterial motors. In addition, no density corresponding to stators was present in the subtomogram average suggesting that the stators are dynamic. Finally, several assembly intermediates of the motor were seen that support the inside-out assembly pathway.

Dynamics of Proteins and Macromolecular Machines in Escherichia coli

Proteins are major contributors to the composition and the functions in the cell. They often assemble into larger structures, macromolecular machines, to carry out intricate essential functions. Although huge progress in understanding how macromolecular machines function has been made by reconstituting them in vitro, the role of the intracellular environment is still emerging. The development of fluorescence microscopy techniques in the last 2 decades has allowed us to obtain an increased understanding of proteins and macromolecular machines in cells. Here, we describe how proteins move by diffusion, how they search for their targets, and how they are affected by the intracellular environment. We also describe how proteins assemble into macromolecular machines and provide examples of how frequent subunit turnover is used for them to function and to respond to changes in the intracellular conditions. This review emphasizes the constant movement of molecules in cells, the stochastic nature of reactions, and the dynamic nature of macromolecular machines.

Architecture and Assembly of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor Complex

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.

Structural Conservation and Adaptation of the Bacterial Flagella Motor

Many bacteria require flagella for the ability to move, survive, and cause infection. The flagellum is a complex nanomachine that has evolved to increase the fitness of each bacterium to diverse environments. Over several decades, molecular, biochemical, and structural insights into the flagella have led to a comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of this fascinating nanomachine. Notably, X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) have elucidated the flagella and their components to unprecedented resolution, gleaning insights into their structural conservation and adaptation. In this review, we focus on recent structural studies that have led to a mechanistic understanding of flagellar assembly, function, and evolution.

Robustness in an Ultrasensitive Motor

In Escherichia coli, the chemotaxis response regulator CheY-P binds to FliM, a component of the switch complex at the base of the bacterial flagellar motor, to modulate the direction of motor rotation. The bacterial flagellar motor is ultrasensitive to the concentration of unbound CheY-P in the cytoplasm. CheY-P binds to FliM molecules both in the cytoplasm and on the motor. As the concentration of FliM unavoidably varies from cell to cell, leading to a variation of unbound CheY-P concentration in the cytoplasm, this raises the question whether the flagellar motor is robust against this variation, that is, whether the rotational bias of the motor is more or less constant as the concentration of FliM varies. Here, we showed that the motor is robust against variations of the concentration of FliM. We identified adaptive remodeling of the motor as the mechanism for this robustness. As the level of FliM molecules changes, resulting in different amounts of the unbound CheY-P molecules, the motor adaptively changes the composition of its switch complex to compensate for this effect.IMPORTANCE The bacterial flagellar motor is an ultrasensitive motor. Its output, the probability of the motor turning clockwise, depends sensitively on the occupancy of the protein FliM (a component on the switch complex of the motor) by the input CheY-P molecules. With a limited cellular pool of CheY-P molecules, cell-to-cell variation of the FliM level would lead to large unwanted variation of the motor output if not compensated. Here, we showed that the motor output is robust against the variation of FliM level and identified the adaptive remodeling of the motor switch complex as the mechanism for this robustness.

Diversification of Campylobacter jejuni Flagellar C-Ring Composition Impacts Its Structure and Function in Motility, Flagellar Assembly, and Cellular Processes

Bacterial flagella are reversible rotary motors that rotate external filaments for bacterial propulsion. Some flagellar motors have diversified by recruiting additional components that influence torque and rotation, but little is known about the possible diversification and evolution of core motor components. The mechanistic core of flagella is the cytoplasmic C ring, which functions as a rotor, directional switch, and assembly platform for the flagellar type III secretion system (fT3SS) ATPase. The C ring is composed of a ring of FliG proteins and a helical ring of surface presentation of antigen (SPOA) domains from the switch proteins FliM and one of two usually mutually exclusive paralogs, FliN or FliY. We investigated the composition, architecture, and function of the C ring of Campylobacter jejuni, which encodes FliG, FliM, and both FliY and FliN by a variety of interrogative approaches. We discovered a diversified C. jejuni C ring containing FliG, FliM, and both FliY, which functions as a classical FliN-like protein for flagellar assembly, and FliN, which has neofunctionalized into a structural role. Specific protein interactions drive the formation of a more complex heterooligomeric C. jejuni C-ring structure. We discovered that this complex C ring has additional cellular functions in polarly localizing FlhG for numerical regulation of flagellar biogenesis and spatial regulation of division. Furthermore, mutation of the C. jejuni C ring revealed a T3SS that was less dependent on its ATPase complex for assembly than were other systems. Our results highlight considerable evolved flagellar diversity that impacts motor output, biogenesis, and cellular processes in different species.IMPORTANCE The conserved core of bacterial flagellar motors reflects a shared evolutionary history that preserves the mechanisms essential for flagellar assembly, rotation, and directional switching. In this work, we describe an expanded and diversified set of core components in the Campylobacter jejuni flagellar C ring, the mechanistic core of the motor. Our work provides insight into how usually conserved core components may have diversified by gene duplication, enabling a division of labor of the ancestral protein between the two new proteins, acquisition of new roles in flagellar assembly and motility, and expansion of the function of the flagellum beyond motility, including spatial regulation of cell division and numerical control of flagellar biogenesis in C. jejuni Our results highlight that relatively small changes, such as gene duplications, can have substantial ramifications on the cellular roles of a molecular machine.

Mechanisms and Dynamics of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor

Many bacteria are able to actively propel themselves through their complex environment, in search of resources and suitable niches. The source of this propulsion is the Bacterial Flagellar Motor (BFM), a molecular complex embedded in the bacterial membrane which rotates a flagellum. In this chapter we review the known physical mechanisms at work in the motor. The BFM shows a highly dynamic behavior in its power output, its structure, and in the stoichiometry of its components. Changes in speed, rotation direction, constituent protein conformations, and the number of constituent subunits are dynamically controlled in accordance to external chemical and mechanical cues. The mechano-sensitivity of the motor is likely related to the surface-sensing ability of bacteria, relevant in the initial stage of biofilm formation.

Assembly, Functions and Evolution of Archaella, Flagella and Cilia

Cells from all three domains of life on Earth utilize motile macromolecular devices that protrude from the cell surface to generate forces that allow them to swim through fluid media. Research carried out on archaea during the past decade or so has led to the recognition that, despite their common function, the motility devices of the three domains display fundamental differences in their properties and ancestry, reflecting a striking example of convergent evolution. Thus, the flagella of bacteria and the archaella of archaea employ rotary filaments that assemble from distinct subunits that do not share a common ancestor and generate torque using energy derived from distinct fuel sources, namely chemiosmotic ion gradients and FlaI motor-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis, respectively. The cilia of eukaryotes, however, assemble via kinesin-2-driven intraflagellar transport and utilize microtubules and ATP-hydrolyzing dynein motors to beat in a variety of waveforms via a sliding filament mechanism. Here, with reference to current structural and mechanistic information about these organelles, we briefly compare the evolutionary origins, assembly and tactic motility of archaella, flagella and cilia.

Directional Switching Mechanism of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor

Bacteria sense temporal changes in extracellular stimuli via sensory signal transducers and move by rotating flagella towards into a favorable environment for their survival. Each flagellum is a supramolecular motility machine consisting of a bi-directional rotary motor, a universal joint and a helical propeller. The signal transducers transmit environmental signals to the flagellar motor through a cytoplasmic chemotactic signaling pathway. The flagellar motor is composed of a rotor and multiple stator units, each of which acts as a transmembrane proton channel to conduct protons and exert force on the rotor. FliG, FliM and FliN form the C ring on the cytoplasmic face of the basal body MS ring made of the transmembrane protein FliF and act as the rotor. The C ring also serves as a switching device that enables the motor to spin in both counterclockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) directions. The phosphorylated form of the chemotactic signaling protein CheY binds to FliM and FliN to induce conformational changes of the C ring responsible for switching the direction of flagellar motor rotation from CCW to CW. In this mini-review, we will describe current understanding of the switching mechanism of the bacterial flagellar motor.

Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria

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.

CW and CCW Conformations of the E. coli Flagellar Motor C-Ring Evaluated by Fluorescence Anisotropy

The molecular cascade that controls switching of the direction of rotation of Escherichia coli flagellar motors is well known, but the conformational changes that allow the rotor to switch are still unclear. The signaling molecule CheY, when phosphorylated, binds to the C-ring at the base of the rotor, raising the probability that the motor spins clockwise. When the concentration of CheY-P is so low that the motor rotates exclusively counterclockwise (CCW), the C-ring recruits more monomers of FliM and tetramers of FliN, the proteins to which CheY-P binds, thus increasing the motor's sensitivity to CheY-P and allowing it to switch once again. Motors that rotate exclusively CCW have more FliM and FliN subunits in their C-rings than motors that rotate exclusively clockwise. How are the new subunits accommodated? Does the diameter of the C-ring increase, or do FliM and FliN get packed in a different pattern, keeping the overall diameter of the C-ring constant? Here, by measuring fluorescence anisotropy of yellow fluorescent protein-labeled motors, we show that the CCW C-rings accommodate more FliM monomers without changing the spacing between them, and more FliN monomers at the same time as increasing their effective spacing and/or changing their orientation within the tetrameric structure.

Switching and Torque Generation in Swarming E. coli

Escherichia coli swarm on semi-solid surfaces with the aid of flagella. It has been hypothesized that swarmer cells overcome the increased viscous drag near surfaces by developing higher flagellar thrust and by promoting surface wetness with the aid of a flagellar switch. The switch enables reversals between clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) directions of rotation of the flagellar motor. Here, we measured the behavior of flagellar motors in swarmer cells. Results indicated that although the torque was similar to that in planktonic cells, the tendency to rotate CCW was higher in swarmer cells. This suggested that swarmers likely have a smaller pool of phosphorylated CheY. Results further indicated that the upregulation of the flagellin gene was not critical for flagellar thrust or swarming. Consistent with earlier reports, moisture added to the swarm surface restored swarming in a CCW-only mutant, but not in a FliG mutant that rotated motors CW-only (FliG^CW). Fluorescence assays revealed that FliG^CW cells grown on agar surfaces carried fewer flagella than planktonic FliG^CW cells. The surface-dependent reduction in flagella correlated with a reduction in the number of putative flagellar preassemblies. These results hint toward a possibility that the conformational dynamics of switch proteins play a role in the proper assembly of flagellar complexes and flagellar export, thereby aiding bacterial swarming.

Characterization of C-ring component assembly in flagellar motors from amino acid coevolution

Bacterial flagellar motility, an important virulence factor, is energized by a rotary motor localized within the flagellar basal body. The rotor module consists of a large framework (the C-ring), composed of the FliG, FliM and FliN proteins. FliN and FliM contacts the FliG torque ring to control the direction of flagellar rotation. We report that structure-based models constrained only by residue coevolution can recover the binding interface of atomic X-ray dimer complexes with remarkable accuracy (approx. 1 Å RMSD). We propose a model for FliM-FliN heterodimerization, which agrees accurately with homologous interfaces as well as in situ cross-linking experiments, and hence supports a proposed architecture for the lower portion of the C-ring. Furthermore, this approach allowed the identification of two discrete and interchangeable homodimerization interfaces between FliM middle domains that agree with experimental measurements and might be associated with C-ring directional switching dynamics triggered upon binding of CheY signal protein. Our findings provide structural details of complex formation at the C-ring that have been difficult to obtain with previous methodologies and clarify the architectural principle that underpins the ultra-sensitive allostery exhibited by this ring assembly that controls the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of flagella.

Quantitative Modeling of Flagellar Motor-Mediated Adaptation

The bacterial flagellar motor is capable of adapting to changes in the concentrations of extracellular chemical stimuli by changing the composition of the switch complex of the flagellar motor. Such remodeling-based adaptation complements the receptor-mediated adaptation in the chemotaxis network to help maintain high sensitivity in the response of the motor to phospho-CheY concentrations, despite cell-to-cell variability in the abundances of chemotaxis proteins. In this chapter, a modeling approach is described that explains the mechanisms of switch-remodeling and motor-mediated adaptation. The approach is based on observations of structural differences, associated with the direction of motor rotation, that modulate the strength of FliM/FliN binding within the switch. By modulating the number of CheY-P-binding sites within the motor, remodeling maximizes sensitivity over a range of signal levels.

Function and Regulation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Cell Surface Structures that Promote Attachment

Agrobacterium tumefaciens attaches stably to plant host tissues and abiotic surfaces. During pathogenesis, physical attachment to the site of infection is a prerequisite to infection and horizontal gene transfer to the plant. Virulent and avirulent strains may also attach to plant tissue in more benign plant associations, and as with other soil microbes, to soil surfaces in the terrestrial environment. Although most A. tumefaciens virulence functions are encoded on the tumor-inducing plasmid, genes that direct general surface attachment are chromosomally encoded, and thus this process is not obligatorily tied to virulence, but is a more fundamental capacity. Several different cellular structures are known or suspected to contribute to the attachment process. The flagella influence surface attachment primarily via their propulsive activity, but control of their rotation during the transition to the attached state may be quite complex. A. tumefaciens produces several pili, including the Tad-type Ctp pili, and several plasmid-borne conjugal pili encoded by the Ti and At plasmids, as well as the so-called T-pilus, involved in interkingdom horizontal gene transfer. The Ctp pili promote reversible interactions with surfaces, whereas the conjugal and T-pili drive horizontal gene transfer (HGT) interactions with other cells and tissues. The T-pilus is likely to contribute to physical association with plant tissues during DNA transfer to plants. A. tumefaciens can synthesize a variety of polysaccharides including cellulose, curdlan (β-1,3 glucan), β-1,2 glucan (cyclic and linear), succinoglycan, and a localized polysaccharide(s) that is confined to a single cellular pole and is called the unipolar polysaccharide (UPP). Lipopolysaccharides are also in the outer leaflet of the outer membrane. Cellulose and curdlan production can influence attachment under certain conditions. The UPP is required for stable attachment under a range of conditions and on abiotic and biotic surfaces. Other factors that have been reported to play a role in attachment include the elusive protein called rhicadhesin. The process of surface attachment is under extensive regulatory control and can be modulated by environmental conditions, as well as by direct responses to surface contact. Complex transcriptional and post-transcriptional control circuitry underlies much of the production and deployment of these attachment functions.

Insight into adaptive remodeling of the rotor ring complex of the bacterial flagellar motor

The bacterial flagellar motor rotates in both counterclockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) directions. FliG, FliM and FliN form the C ring on the cytoplasmic face of the MS ring made of a transmembrane protein, FliF. The C ring acts not only as a rotor but also as a switch of the direction of motor rotation. FliG consists of three domains: FliG_N, FliG_M and FliG_C. FliG_N directly binds to FliF. Intermolecular interactions between FliG_M and FliG_C drive FliG ring formation. FliG_M is responsible for the interaction with FliM. FliG_C is involved in the interaction with the stator protein MotA. Adaptive remodeling of the C ring occurs when the motor switches between the CCW and CW states. However, it remained unknown how. Here, we report the effects of a CW-locked deletion mutation (ΔPEV) in FliG of Thermotaoga maritia (Tm-FliG) on FliG-FliG and FliG-FliM interactions. The PEV deletion stabilized the intramolecular interaction between FliG_M and FliG_C, thereby suppressing the oligomerization of Tm-FliG_MC in solution. This deletion also induced a conformational change of Helix_MC connecting FliG_M and FliG_C to reduce the binding affinity of Tm-FliG_MC for FliM. We will discuss adaptive remodeling of the C ring responsible for flagellar motor switching.

Impact of fluorescent protein fusions on the bacterial flagellar motor

Fluorescent fusion proteins open a direct and unique window onto protein function. However, they also introduce the risk of perturbation of the function of the native protein. Successful applications of fluorescent fusions therefore rely on a careful assessment and minimization of the side effects, but such insight is still lacking for many applications. This is particularly relevant in the study of the internal dynamics of motor proteins, where both the chemical and mechanical reaction coordinates can be affected. Fluorescent proteins fused to the stator of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor (BFM) have previously been used to unveil the motor subunit dynamics. Here we report the effects on single motors of three fluorescent proteins fused to the stators, all of which altered BFM behavior. The torque generated by individual stators was reduced while their stoichiometry remained unaffected. MotB fusions decreased the switching frequency and induced a novel bias-dependent asymmetry in the speed in the two directions. These effects could be mitigated by inserting a linker at the fusion point. These findings provide a quantitative account of the effects of fluorescent fusions to the stator on BFM dynamics and their alleviation- new insights that advance the use of fluorescent fusions to probe the dynamics of protein complexes.

Biogenesis of the Flagellar Switch Complex in Escherichia coli: Formation of Sub-Complexes Independently of the Basal-Body MS-Ring

Direction switching in the flagellar motor of Escherichia coli is under the control of a complex on the rotor formed from the proteins FliG, FliM, and FliN. FliG lies at the top of the switch complex (i.e., nearest the membrane) and is arranged with its C-terminal domain (FliG_C) resting on the middle domain (FliG_M) of the neighboring subunit. This organization requires the protein to adopt an open conformation that exposes the surfaces engaging in intersubunit FliG_C/FliG_M contacts. In a recent study, Baker and coworkers [13] obtained evidence that FliG in the cytosol is monomeric and takes on a more compact conformation, with FliG_C making intramolecular contact with FliG_M of the same subunit. In the present work, we examine the conformational preferences and interactions of FliG through in vivo crosslinking experiments in cells that lack either all other flagellar proteins or just the MS-ring protein FliF. The results indicate that FliG has a significant tendency to form multimers independently of other flagellar components. The multimerization of FliG is promoted by FliF and also by FliM. FliM does not multimerize efficiently by itself but does so in the presence of FliG. Thus, pre-assemblies of the switch-complex proteins can form in the cytosol and might function as intermediates in assembly.

Architecture of the Flagellar Switch Complex of Escherichia coli: Conformational Plasticity of FliG and Implications for Adaptive Remodeling

Structural models of the complex that regulates the direction of flagellar rotation assume either ~34 or ~25 copies of the protein FliG. Support for ~34 came from crosslinking experiments identifying an intersubunit contact most consistent with that number; support for ~25 came from the observation that flagella can assemble and rotate when FliG is genetically fused to FliF, for which the accepted number is ~25. Here, we have undertaken crosslinking and other experiments to address more fully the question of FliG number. The results indicate a copy number of ~25 for FliG. An interaction between the C-terminal and middle domains, which has been taken to support a model with ~34 copies, is also supported. To reconcile the interaction with a FliG number of ~25, we hypothesize conformational plasticity in an interdomain segment of FliG that allows some subunits to bridge gaps created by the number mismatch. This proposal is supported by mutant phenotypes and other results indicating that the normally helical segment adopts a more extended conformation in some subunits. The FliG amino-terminal domain is organized in a regular array with dimensions matching a ring in the upper part of the complex. The model predicts that FliG copy number should be tied to that of FliF, whereas FliM copy number can increase or decrease according to the number of FliG subunits that adopt the extended conformation. This has implications for the phenomenon of adaptive switch remodeling, in which the FliM copy number varies to adjust the bias of the switch.

Stoichiometry and Turnover of the Stator and Rotor

Fluorescence imaging techniques using green fluorescent protein (GFP) and related fluorescent proteins are utilized to monitor and analyze a wide range of biological processes in living cells. Stepwise photobleaching experiments can determine the stoichiometry of protein complexes. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments can reveal in vivo dynamics of biomolecules. In this chapter, we describe methods to detect the subcellular localization, stoichiometry, and turnovers of stator and rotor components of the Salmonella flagellar motor.

The flagellar motor adapts, optimizing bacterial behavior

A short review is given of recent work showing that the flagellar rotary motor of the bacterium Escherichia coli remodels to match its operating point (the fraction of time that it spins clockwise) to the requirements of the chemotaxis signaling network, and to provide the torque necessary to operate at different viscous loads.

Internal and external components of the bacterial flagellar motor rotate as a unit

Most bacteria that swim, including Escherichia coli, are propelled by helical filaments, each driven at its base by a rotary motor powered by a proton or a sodium ion electrochemical gradient. Each motor contains a number of stator complexes, comprising 4MotA 2MotB or 4PomA 2PomB, proteins anchored to the rigid peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall. These proteins exert torque on a rotor that spans the inner membrane. A shaft connected to the rotor passes through the peptidoglycan and the outer membrane through bushings, the P and L rings, connecting to the filament by a flexible coupling known as the hook. Although the external components, the hook and the filament, are known to rotate, having been tethered to glass or marked by latex beads, the rotation of the internal components has remained only a reasonable assumption. Here, by using polarized light to bleach and probe an internal YFP-FliN fusion, we show that the innermost components of the cytoplasmic ring rotate at a rate similar to that of the hook.

Coevolved Mutations Reveal Distinct Architectures for Two Core Proteins in the Bacterial Flagellar Motor

Switching of bacterial flagellar rotation is caused by large domain movements of the FliG protein triggered by binding of the signal protein CheY to FliM. FliG and FliM form adjacent multi-subunit arrays within the basal body C-ring. The movements alter the interaction of the FliG C-terminal (FliG_C) “torque” helix with the stator complexes. Atomic models based on the Salmonella entrovar C-ring electron microscopy reconstruction have implications for switching, but lack consensus on the relative locations of the FliG armadillo (ARM) domains (amino-terminal (FliG_N), middle (FliG_M) and FliG_C) as well as changes during chemotaxis. The generality of the Salmonella model is challenged by the variation in motor morphology and response between species. We studied coevolved residue mutations to determine the unifying elements of switch architecture. Residue interactions, measured by their coevolution, were formalized as a network, guided by structural data. Our measurements reveal a common design with dedicated switch and motor modules. The FliM middle domain (FliM_M) has extensive connectivity most simply explained by conserved intra and inter-subunit contacts. In contrast, FliG has patchy, complex architecture. Conserved structural motifs form interacting nodes in the coevolution network that wire FliM_M to the FliG_C C-terminal, four-helix motor module (C3-6). FliG C3-6 coevolution is organized around the torque helix, differently from other ARM domains. The nodes form separated, surface-proximal patches that are targeted by deleterious mutations as in other allosteric systems. The dominant node is formed by the EHPQ motif at the FliM_MFliG_M contact interface and adjacent helix residues at a central location within FliG_M. The node interacts with nodes in the N-terminal FliG_c α-helix triad (ARM-C) and FliG_N. ARM-C, separated from C3-6 by the MFVF motif, has poor intra-network connectivity consistent with its variable orientation revealed by structural data. ARM-C could be the convertor element that provides mechanistic and species diversity.

Response thresholds in bacterial chemotaxis

Stimulation of Escherichia coli by exponential ramps of chemoattractants generates step changes in the concentration of the response regulator, CheY-P. Because flagellar motors are ultrasensitive, this should change the fraction of time that motors spin clockwise, the CWbias. However, early work failed to show changes in CWbias when ramps were shallow. This was explained by a model for motor remodeling that predicted plateaus in plots of CWbias versus [CheY-P]. We looked for these plateaus by examining distributions of CWbias in populations of cells with different mean [CheY-P]. We did not find such plateaus. Hence, we repeated the work on shallow ramps and found that motors did indeed respond. These responses were quantitatively described by combining motor remodeling with ultrasensitivity in a model that exhibited high sensitivities over a wide dynamic range.

The bacterial flagellar motor and its structural diversity

The bacterial flagellum is a reversible rotary motor powered by an electrochemical-potential difference of specific ions across the cytoplasmic membrane. The H(+)-driven motor of Salmonella spins at ∼300 Hz, whereas the Na(+)-driven motor of marine Vibrio spp. can rotate much faster, up to 1700 Hz. A highly conserved motor structure consists of the MS ring, C ring, rod, and export apparatus. The C ring and the export apparatus show dynamic properties for exerting their functional activities. Various additional structures surrounding the conserved motor structure are observed in different bacterial species. In this review we summarize our current understanding of the structure, function, and assembly of the flagellar motor in Salmonella and marine Vibrio.