1
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Zheng T, Cai S. Recent Technical Advances in Cellular Cryo-Electron Tomography. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2024:106648. [PMID: 39181502 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the in situ structure, organization, and interactions of macromolecules is essential for elucidating their functions and mechanisms of action. Cellular cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is a cutting-edge technique that reveals in situ molecular-resolution architectures of macromolecules in their lifelike states. It also provides insights into the three-dimensional distribution of macromolecules and their spatial relationships with various subcellular structures. Thus, cellular cryo-ET bridges the gap between structural biology and cell biology. With rapid advancements, this technique achieved substantial improvements in throughput, automation, and resolution. This review presents the fundamental principles and methodologies of cellular cryo-ET, highlighting recent developments in sample preparation, data collection, and image processing. We also discuss emerging trends and potential future directions. As cellular cryo-ET continues to develop, it is set to play an increasingly vital role in structural cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Zheng
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shujun Cai
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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2
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Mookherjee A, Mitra M, Sason G, Jose PA, Martinenko M, Pietrokovski S, Jurkevitch E. Flagellar stator genes control a trophic shift from obligate to facultative predation and biofilm formation in a bacterial predator. mBio 2024; 15:e0071524. [PMID: 39037271 PMCID: PMC11323537 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00715-24] [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: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is considered to be obligatorily prey (host)-dependent (H-D), and thus unable to form biofilms. However, spontaneous host-independent (H-I) variants grow axenically and can form robust biofilms. A screen of 350 H-I mutants revealed that single mutations in stator genes fliL or motA were sufficient to generate flagellar motility-defective H-I strains able to adhere to surfaces but unable to develop biofilms. The variants showed large transcriptional shifts in genes related to flagella, prey-invasion, and cyclic-di-GMP (CdG), as well as large changes in CdG cellular concentration relative to the H-D parent. The introduction of the parental fliL allele resulted in a full reversion to the H-D phenotype, but we propose that specific interactions between stator proteins prevented functional complementation by fliL paralogs. In contrast, specific mutations in a pilus-associated protein (Bd0108) mutant background were necessary for biofilm formation, including secretion of extracellular DNA (eDNA), proteins, and polysaccharides matrix components. Remarkably, fliL disruption strongly reduced biofilm development. All H-I variants grew similarly without prey, showed a strain-specific reduction in predatory ability in prey suspensions, but maintained similar high efficiency in prey biofilms. Population-wide allele sequencing suggested additional routes to host independence. Thus, stator and invasion pole-dependent signaling control the H-D and the H-I biofilm-forming phenotypes, with single mutations overriding prey requirements, and enabling shifts from obligate to facultative predation, with potential consequences on community dynamics. Our findings on the facility and variety of changes leading to facultative predation also challenge the concept of Bdellovibrio and like organisms being obligate predators. IMPORTANCE The ability of bacteria to form biofilms is a central research theme in biology, medicine, and the environment. We show that cultures of the obligate (host-dependent) "solitary" predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, which cannot replicate without prey, can use various genetic routes to spontaneously yield host-independent (H-I) variants that grow axenically (as a single species, in the absence of prey) and exhibit various surface attachment phenotypes, including biofilm formation. These routes include single mutations in flagellar stator genes that affect biofilm formation, provoke motor instability and large motility defects, and disrupt cyclic-di-GMP intracellular signaling. H-I strains also exhibit reduced predatory efficiency in suspension but high efficiency in prey biofilms. These changes override the requirements for prey, enabling a shift from obligate to facultative predation, with potential consequences on community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhirup Mookherjee
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mohor Mitra
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gal Sason
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Polpass Arul Jose
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Maria Martinenko
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shmuel Pietrokovski
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Edouard Jurkevitch
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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3
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Partridge JD, Harshey RM. Flagellar protein FliL: A many-splendored thing. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 39096095 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
FliL is a bacterial flagellar protein demonstrated to associate with, and regulate ion flow through, the stator complex in a diverse array of bacterial species. FliL is also implicated in additional functions such as stabilizing the flagellar rod, modulating rotor bias, sensing the surface, and regulating gene expression. How can one protein do so many things? Its location is paramount to understanding its numerous functions. This review will look at the evidence, attempt to resolve some conflicting findings, and offer new thoughts on FliL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Partridge
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Rasika M Harshey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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4
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Zhai Y, Fang J, Zheng W, Hao M, Chen J, Liu X, Zhang M, Qi L, Zhou D, Liu W, Jin Y, Wang A. A potential virulence factor: Brucella flagellin FliK does not affect the main biological properties but inhibits the inflammatory response in RAW264.7 cells. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 133:112119. [PMID: 38648715 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is an elongated filament that protrudes from the cell and is responsible for bacterial motility. It can also be a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) that regulates the host immune response and is involved in bacterial pathogenicity. In contrast to motile bacteria, the Brucella flagellum does not serve a motile purpose. Instead, it plays a role in regulating Brucella virulence and the host's immune response, similar to other non-motile bacteria. The flagellin protein, FliK, plays a key role in assembly of the flagellum and also as a potential virulence factor involved in the regulation of bacterial virulence and pathogenicity. In this study, we generated a Brucella suis S2 flik gene deletion strain and its complemented strain and found that deletion of the flik gene has no significant effect on the main biological properties of Brucella, but significantly enhanced the inflammatory response induced by Brucella infection of RAW264.7 macrophages. Further experiments demonstrated that the FliK protein was able to inhibit LPS-induced cellular inflammatory responses by down-regulating the expression of MyD88 and NF-κB, and by decreasing p65 phosphorylation in the NF-κB pathway; it also inhibited the expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. In conclusion, our study suggests that Brucella FliK may act as a virulence factor involved in the regulation of Brucella pathogenicity and modulation of the host immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyi Zhai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jiaoyang Fang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Weifang Zheng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Mingyue Hao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jialu Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - XiaoFang Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - MengYu Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Lin Qi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Dong Zhou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Wei Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yaping Jin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
| | - Aihua Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
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5
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Vélez-González F, Marcos-Vilchis A, Vega-Baray B, Dreyfus G, Poggio S, Camarena L. Rotation of the Fla2 flagella of Cereibacter sphaeroides requires the periplasmic proteins MotK and MotE that interact with the flagellar stator protein MotB2. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298028. [PMID: 38507361 PMCID: PMC10954123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a complex structure formed by more than 25 different proteins, this appendage comprises three conserved structures: the basal body, the hook and filament. The basal body, embedded in the cell envelope, is the most complex structure and houses the export apparatus and the motor. In situ images of the flagellar motor in different species have revealed a huge diversity of structures that surround the well-conserved periplasmic components of the basal body. The identity of the proteins that form these novel structures in many cases has been elucidated genetically and biochemically, but in others they remain to be identified or characterized. In this work, we report that in the alpha proteobacteria Cereibacter sphaeroides the novel protein MotK along with MotE are essential for flagellar rotation. We show evidence that these periplasmic proteins interact with each other and with MotB2. Moreover, these proteins localize to the flagellated pole and MotK localization is dependent on MotB2 and MotA2. These results together suggest that the role of MotK and MotE is to activate or recruit the flagellar stators to the flagellar structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Vélez-González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Arely Marcos-Vilchis
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Benjamín Vega-Baray
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Georges Dreyfus
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sebastian Poggio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Laura Camarena
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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6
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Ribardo DA, Johnson JJ, Hendrixson DR. Viscosity-dependent determinants of Campylobacter jejuni impacting the velocity of flagellar motility. mBio 2024; 15:e0254423. [PMID: 38085029 PMCID: PMC10790790 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02544-23] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Bacteria can adapt flagellar motor output in response to the load that the extracellular milieu imparts on the flagellar filament to enable propulsion. Bacteria can adapt flagellar motor output in response to the load that the extracellular milieu imparts on the flagellar filament to enable propulsion through diverse environments. These changes may involve increasing power and torque in high-viscosity environments or reducing power and flagellar rotation upon contact with a surface. C. jejuni swimming velocity in low-viscosity environments is comparable to other bacterial flagellates and increases significantly as external viscosity increases. In this work, we provide evidence that the mechanics of the C. jejuni flagellar motor has evolved to naturally promote high swimming velocity in high-viscosity environments. We found that C. jejuni produces VidA and VidB as auxiliary proteins to specifically affect flagellar motor activity in low viscosity to reduce swimming velocity. Our findings provide some of the first insights into different mechanisms that exist in bacteria to alter the mechanics of a flagellar motor, depending on the viscosity of extracellular environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A. Ribardo
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jeremiah J. Johnson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - David R. Hendrixson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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7
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Botting JM, Tachiyama S, Gibson KH, Liu J, Starai VJ, Hoover TR. FlgV forms a flagellar motor ring that is required for optimal motility of Helicobacter pylori. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287514. [PMID: 37976320 PMCID: PMC10655999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Flagella-driven motility is essential for Helicobacter pylori to colonize the human stomach, where it causes a variety of diseases, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. H. pylori has evolved a high-torque-generating flagellar motor that possesses several accessories not found in the archetypical Escherichia coli motor. FlgV was one of the first flagellar accessory proteins identified in Campylobacter jejuni, but its structure and function remain poorly understood. Here, we confirm that deletion of flgV in H. pylori B128 and a highly motile variant of H. pylori G27 (G27M) results in reduced motility in soft agar medium. Comparative analyses of in-situ flagellar motor structures of wild-type, ΔflgV, and a strain expressing FlgV-YFP showed that FlgV forms a ring-like structure closely associated with the junction of two highly conserved flagellar components: the MS and C rings. The results of our studies suggest that the FlgV ring has adapted specifically in Campylobacterota to support the assembly and efficient function of the high-torque-generating motors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack M. Botting
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Shoichi Tachiyama
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Katherine H. Gibson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jun Liu
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Vincent J. Starai
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Timothy R. Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
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8
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Partridge JD, Dufour Y, Hwang Y, Harshey RM. Flagellar motor remodeling during swarming requires FliL. Mol Microbiol 2023; 120:670-683. [PMID: 37675594 PMCID: PMC10942728 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15148] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
FliL is an essential component of the flagellar machinery in some bacteria, but a conditional one in others. The conditional role is for optimal swarming in some bacteria. During swarming, physical forces associated with movement on a surface are expected to exert a higher load on the flagellum, requiring more motor torque to move. FliL was reported to enhance motor output in several bacteria and observed to assemble as a ring around ion-conducting stators that power the motor. In this study we identify a common new function for FliL in diverse bacteria-Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Proteus mirabilis. During swarming, all these bacteria show increased cell speed and a skewed motor bias that suppresses cell tumbling. We demonstrate that these altered motor parameters, or "motor remodeling," require FliL. Both swarming and motor remodeling can be restored in an E. coli fliL mutant by complementation with fliL genes from P. mirabilis and B. subtilis, showing conservation of a swarming-associated FliL function across phyla. In addition, we demonstrate that the strong interaction we reported earlier between FliL and the flagellar MS-ring protein FliF is confined to the RBM-3 domain of FliF that links the periplasmic rod to the cytoplasmic C-ring. This interaction may explain several phenotypes associated with the absence of FliL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D. Partridge
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Yann Dufour
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - YuneSahng Hwang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Rasika M. Harshey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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9
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Hu H, Popp PF, Santiveri M, Roa-Eguiara A, Yan Y, Martin FJO, Liu Z, Wadhwa N, Wang Y, Erhardt M, Taylor NMI. Ion selectivity and rotor coupling of the Vibrio flagellar sodium-driven stator unit. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4411. [PMID: 37500658 PMCID: PMC10374538 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39899-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria swim using a flagellar motor that is powered by stator units. Vibrio spp. are highly motile bacteria responsible for various human diseases, the polar flagella of which are exclusively driven by sodium-dependent stator units (PomAB). However, how ion selectivity is attained, how ion transport triggers the directional rotation of the stator unit, and how the stator unit is incorporated into the flagellar rotor remained largely unclear. Here, we have determined by cryo-electron microscopy the structure of Vibrio PomAB. The electrostatic potential map uncovers sodium binding sites, which together with functional experiments and molecular dynamics simulations, reveal a mechanism for ion translocation and selectivity. Bulky hydrophobic residues from PomA prime PomA for clockwise rotation. We propose that a dynamic helical motif in PomA regulates the distance between PomA subunit cytoplasmic domains, stator unit activation, and torque transmission. Together, our study provides mechanistic insights for understanding ion selectivity and rotor incorporation of the stator unit of the bacterial flagellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haidai Hu
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Philipp F Popp
- Institute for Biology/Molecular Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mònica Santiveri
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Aritz Roa-Eguiara
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yumeng Yan
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Freddie J O Martin
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zheyi Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
- The Provincial International Science and Technology Cooperation Base on Engineering Biology, International Campus of Zhejiang University, Haining, 314400, China
| | - Navish Wadhwa
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Yong Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
- The Provincial International Science and Technology Cooperation Base on Engineering Biology, International Campus of Zhejiang University, Haining, 314400, China
| | - Marc Erhardt
- Institute for Biology/Molecular Microbiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicholas M I Taylor
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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10
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Partridge JD, Dufour Y, Hwang Y, Harshey RM. Flagellar motor remodeling during swarming requires FliL. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.14.549092. [PMID: 37503052 PMCID: PMC10370021 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.14.549092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
FliL is an essential component of the flagellar machinery in some bacteria, but a conditional one in others. The conditional role is for optimal swarming in some bacteria. During swarming, physical forces associated with movement on a surface are expected to exert a higher load on the flagellum, requiring more motor torque to move. Bacterial physiology and morphology are also altered during swarming to cope with the challenges of surface navigation. FliL was reported to enhance motor output in several bacteria and observed to assemble as a ring around ion-conducting stators that power the motor. In this study we identify a common new function for FliL in diverse bacteria - Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Proteus mirabilis . During swarming, all these bacteria show increased cell speed and a skewed motor bias that suppresses cell tumbling. We demonstrate that these altered motor parameters, or 'motor remodeling', require FliL. Both swarming and motor remodeling can be restored in an E. coli fliL mutant by complementation with fliL genes from P. mirabilis and B. subtilis , showing conservation of swarming-associated FliL function across phyla. In addition, we demonstrate that the strong interaction we reported earlier between FliL and the flagellar MS-ring protein FliF is confined to the RBM-3 domain of FliF that links the periplasmic rod to the cytoplasmic C-ring. This interaction may explain several phenotypes associated with the absence of FliL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Partridge
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Yann Dufour
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - YuneSahng Hwang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Rasika M Harshey
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
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11
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Liu X, Roujeinikova A, Ottemann KM. FliL Functions in Diverse Microbes to Negatively Modulate Motor Output via Its N-Terminal Region. mBio 2023; 14:e0028323. [PMID: 36852985 PMCID: PMC10127578 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00283-23] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The flagellar motor protein FliL is conserved across many microbes, but its exact role has been obscured by varying fliL mutant phenotypes. We reanalyzed results from fliL studies and found they utilized alleles that differed in the amount of N- and C-terminal regions that were retained. Alleles that retain the N-terminal cytoplasmic and transmembrane helix (TM) regions in the absence of the C-terminal periplasmic domain result in loss of motility, while alleles that completely lack the N-terminal region, independent of the periplasmic domain, retain motility. We then tested this prediction in Helicobacter pylori fliL and found support for the idea. This analysis suggests that FliL function may be more conserved across bacteria than previously thought, that it is not essential for motility, and that the N-terminal region has the negative ability to regulate motor function. IMPORTANCE FliL is a protein found in the flagellar motor of bacteria, but what it does was not clear. To study FliL function, scientists often remove it and see what happens. Loss of FliL was thought to have different effects depending on the microbe. We uncovered, however, that part of the confusion arose because scientists inadvertently removed different parts of the protein. Our analysis and data suggest that leaving the N-terminal regions blocks motility, while fully removing FliL allows normal motility. This finding will help scientists understand FliL because it clarifies what needs to be removed to fully eliminate the protein, and also that the N-terminal region can block motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Anna Roujeinikova
- Infection and Immunity Program, Department of Microbiology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Karen M. Ottemann
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
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12
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Wang Y, Xuan G, Lin H, Fei Z, Wang J. Phage resistance of Salmonella enterica obtained by transposon Tn5-mediated SefR gene silent mutation. J Basic Microbiol 2023; 63:530-541. [PMID: 37032321 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202200532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Salmonella enterica contamination is a primary cause of global food poisoning. Using phages as bactericidal alternatives to antibiotics could confront the issue of drug resistance. However, the problem of phage resistance, especially mutant strains with multiple phage resistance, is a critical barrier to the practical application of phages. In this study, a library of EZ-Tn5 transposable mutants of susceptible host S. enterica B3-6 was constructed. After the infestation pressure of a broad-spectrum phage TP1, a mutant strain with resistance to eight phages was obtained. Analysis of the genome resequencing results revealed that the SefR gene was disrupted in the mutant strain. The mutant strain displayed a reduced adsorption rate of 42% and a significant decrease in swimming and swarming motility, as well as a significantly reduced expression of the flagellar-related FliL and FliO genes to 17% and 36%, respectively. An uninterrupted form of the SefR gene was cloned into vector pET-21a (+) and used for complementation of the mutant strain. The complemented mutant exhibited similar adsorption and motility as the wild-type control. These results suggest that the disrupted flagellar-mediated SefR gene causes an adsorption inhibition, which is responsible for the phage-resistant phenotype of the S. enterica transposition mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinfeng Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Guanhua Xuan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hong Lin
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zhenhong Fei
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jingxue Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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13
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Diving into the complexity of the spirochetal endoflagellum. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:294-307. [PMID: 36244923 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Spirochaetes, a phylum that includes medically important pathogens such as the causative agents of Lyme disease, syphilis, and leptospirosis, are in many ways highly unique bacteria. Their cell morphology, subcellular organization, and metabolism reveal atypical features. Spirochetal motility is also singular, dependent on the presence of periplasmic flagella or endoflagella, inserted subterminally at cell poles and not penetrating the outer membrane and elongating outside the cell as in enterobacteria. In this review we present a comprehensive comparative genomics analysis of endoflagellar systems in spirochetes, highlighting recent findings on the flagellar basal body and filament. Continued progress in understanding the function and architecture of spirochetal flagella is uncovering paradigm-shifting mechanisms of bacterial motility.
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14
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Walsh RM, Mayer ML, Sun CH, Rawson S, Nair R, Sterling SM, Li Z. Practices for running a research-oriented shared cryo-EM facility. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:960940. [PMID: 36188224 PMCID: PMC9521047 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.960940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Harvard Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center for Structural Biology, which was formed as a consortium between Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital, serves both academic and commercial users in the greater Harvard community. The facility strives to optimize research productivity while training users to become expert electron microscopists. These two tasks may be at odds and require careful balance to keep research projects moving forward while still allowing trainees to develop independence and expertise. This article presents the model developed at Harvard Medical School for running a research-oriented cryo-EM facility. Being a research-oriented facility begins with training in cryo-sample preparation on a trainee’s own sample, ideally producing grids that can be screened and optimized on the Talos Arctica via multiple established pipelines. The first option, staff assisted screening, requires no user experience and a staff member provides instant feedback about the suitability of the sample for cryo-EM investigation and discusses potential strategies for sample optimization. Another option, rapid access, allows users short sessions to screen samples and introductory training for basic microscope operation. Once a sample reaches the stage where data collection is warranted, new users are trained on setting up data collection for themselves on either the Talos Arctica or Titan Krios microscope until independence is established. By providing incremental training and screening pipelines, the bottleneck of sample preparation can be overcome in parallel with developing skills as an electron microscopist. This approach allows for the development of expertise without hindering breakthroughs in key research areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Walsh
- Harvard Cryo-EM Center for Structural Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Megan L. Mayer
- Harvard Cryo-EM Center for Structural Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Christopher H. Sun
- Harvard Cryo-EM Center for Structural Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shaun Rawson
- Harvard Cryo-EM Center for Structural Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Remya Nair
- Harvard Cryo-EM Center for Structural Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sarah M. Sterling
- Harvard Cryo-EM Center for Structural Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Zongli Li
- Harvard Cryo-EM Center for Structural Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Zongli Li,
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15
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A multi-state dynamic process confers mechano-adaptation to a biological nanomachine. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5327. [PMID: 36088344 PMCID: PMC9464220 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33075-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation is a defining feature of living systems. The bacterial flagellar motor adapts to changes in the external mechanical load by adding or removing torque-generating (stator) units. But the molecular mechanism behind this mechano-adaptation remains unclear. Here, we combine single motor eletrorotation experiments and theoretical modeling to show that mechano-adaptation of the flagellar motor is enabled by multiple mechanosensitive internal states. Dwell time statistics from experiments suggest the existence of at least two bound states with a high and a low unbinding rate, respectively. A first-passage-time analysis of a four-state model quantitatively explains the experimental data and determines the transition rates among all four states. The torque generated by bound stator units controls their effective unbinding rate by modulating the transition between the bound states, possibly via a catch bond mechanism. Similar force-mediated feedback enabled by multiple internal states may apply to adaptation in other macromolecular complexes. Combining experiments with modeling, Wadhwa et al. propose a model for mechano-adaptation in the bacterial flagellar motor, finding that load-dependent transitions between multiple internal states govern the binding and unbinding of subunits.
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16
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Sobe RC, Gilbert C, Vo L, Alexandre G, Scharf BE. FliL and its paralog MotF have distinct roles in the stator activity of the Sinorhizobium meliloti flagellar motor. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:223-243. [PMID: 35808893 PMCID: PMC9541039 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a complex macromolecular machine that drives bacteria through diverse fluid environments. Although many components of the flagellar motor are conserved across species, the roles of FliL are numerous and species‐specific. Here, we have characterized an additional player required for flagellar motor function in Sinorhizobium meliloti, MotF, which we have identified as a FliL paralog. We performed a comparative analysis of MotF and FliL, identified interaction partners through bacterial two‐hybrid and pull‐down assays, and investigated their roles in motility and motor rotation. Both proteins form homooligomers, and interact with each other, and with the stator proteins MotA and MotB. The ∆motF mutant exhibits normal flagellation but its swimming behavior and flagellar motor activity are severely impaired and erratic. In contrast, the ∆fliL mutant is mostly aflagellate and nonmotile. Amino acid substitutions in cytoplasmic regions of MotA or disruption of the proton channel plug of MotB partially restored motor activity to the ∆motF but not the ∆fliL mutant. Altogether, our findings indicate that both, MotF and FliL, are essential for flagellar motor torque generation in S. meliloti. FliL may serve as a scaffold for stator integration into the motor, and MotF is required for proton channel modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard C Sobe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences I, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Crystal Gilbert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences I, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Lam Vo
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Present address: Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology and Physics, Yale Science Building, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gladys Alexandre
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Birgit E Scharf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences I, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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Guo S, Liu J. The Bacterial Flagellar Motor: Insights Into Torque Generation, Rotational Switching, and Mechanosensing. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:911114. [PMID: 35711788 PMCID: PMC9195833 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.911114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The flagellar motor is a bidirectional rotary nanomachine used by many bacteria to sense and move through environments of varying complexity. The bidirectional rotation of the motor is governed by interactions between the inner membrane-associated stator units and the C-ring in the cytoplasm. In this review, we take a structural biology perspective to discuss the distinct conformations of the stator complex and the C-ring that regulate bacterial motility by switching rotational direction between the clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) senses. We further contextualize recent in situ structural insights into the modulation of the stator units by accessory proteins, such as FliL, to generate full torque. The dynamic structural remodeling of the C-ring and stator complexes as well as their association with signaling and accessory molecules provide a mechanistic basis for how bacteria adjust motility to sense, move through, and survive in specific niches both outside and within host cells and tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaiqi Guo
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jun Liu
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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18
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Homma M, Kojima S. The Periplasmic Domain of the Ion-Conducting Stator of Bacterial Flagella Regulates Force Generation. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:869187. [PMID: 35572622 PMCID: PMC9093738 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.869187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellar stator is a unique ion-conducting membrane protein complex composed of two kinds of proteins, the A subunit and the B subunit. The stator couples the ion-motive force across the membrane into rotational force. The stator becomes active only when it is incorporated into the flagellar motor. The periplasmic region of the B subunit positions the stator by using the peptidoglycan-binding (PGB) motif in its periplasmic C-terminal domain to attach to the cell wall. Functional studies based on the crystal structures of the C-terminal domain of the B subunit (MotBC or PomBC) reveal that a dramatic conformational change in a characteristic α-helix allows the stator to conduct ions efficiently and bind to the PG layer. The plug and the following linker region between the transmembrane (TM) and PG-binding domains of the B subunit function in regulating the ion conductance. In Vibrio spp., the transmembrane protein FliL and the periplasmic MotX and MotY proteins also contribute to the motor function. In this review, we describe the functional and structural changes which the stator units undergo to regulate the activity of the stator to drive flagellar rotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michio Homma
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Seiji Kojima
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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