Molecular Mechanism for Rotational Switching of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor

Overview

Journal Nat Struct Mol Biol

Specialties Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2020 Sep 8

PMID 32895555

Citations 53

Authors

Yunjie Chang

Kai Zhang

Brittany L Carroll

Xiaowei Zhao

Nyles W Charon

Steven J Norris

Md A Motaleb

Chunhao Li

Jun Liu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The bacterial flagellar motor can rotate in counterclockwise (CCW) or clockwise (CW) senses, and transitions are controlled by the phosphorylated form of the response regulator CheY (CheY-P). To dissect the mechanism underlying flagellar rotational switching, we use Borrelia burgdorferi as a model system to determine high-resolution in situ motor structures in cheX and cheY3 mutants, in which motors are locked in either CCW or CW rotation. The structures showed that CheY3-P interacts directly with a switch protein, FliM, inducing a major remodeling of another switch protein, FliG2, and altering its interaction with the torque generator. Our findings lead to a model in which the torque generator rotates in response to an inward flow of H driven by the proton motive force, and conformational changes in FliG2 driven by CheY3-P allow the switch complex to interact with opposite sides of the rotating torque generator, facilitating rotational switching.

Citing Articles

Sodium-Dependent Conformational Change in Flagellar Stator Protein MotS from .

Takekawa N, Yamaguchi A, Nishiuchi K, Uehori M, Kinoshita M, Minamino T Biomolecules. 2025; 15(2).

PMID: 40001605 PMC: 11853200. DOI: 10.3390/biom15020302.

Regulatory Role of a Hydrophobic Core in the FliG C-Terminal Domain in the Rotary Direction of a Flagellar Motor.

Nishikino T, Hatano A, Kojima S, Homma M Biomolecules. 2025; 15(2).

PMID: 40001515 PMC: 11853002. DOI: 10.3390/biom15020212.

Ultrasensitivity without conformational spread: A mechanical origin for non-equilibrium cooperativity in the bacterial flagellar motor.

Mattingly H, Tu Y ArXiv. 2025; .

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Tetrameric PilZ protein stabilizes stator ring in complex flagellar motor and is required for motility in .

Chen Y, Tachiyama S, Li Y, Feng X, Zhao H, Wu Y Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025; 122(1):e2412594121.

PMID: 39793078 PMC: 11725899. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2412594121.

Structural insight into sodium ion pathway in the bacterial flagellar stator from marine .

Nishikino T, Takekawa N, Kishikawa J, Hirose M, Kojima S, Homma M Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025; 122(1):e2415713122.

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