In Situ Structure of the Vibrio Polar Flagellum Reveals a Distinct Outer Membrane Complex and Its Specific Interaction with the Stator.

ABSTRACT: The bacterial flagellum is a biological nanomachine that rotates to allow bacteria to swim. For flagellar rotation, torque is generated by interactions between a rotor and a stator. The stator, which is composed of MotA and MotB subunit proteins in the membrane, is thought to bind to the peptidoglycan (PG) layer, which anchors the stator around the rotor. Detailed information on the stator and its interactions with the rotor remains unclear. Here, we deployed cryo-electron tomography and genetic analysis to characterize in situ structure of the bacterial flagellar motor in Vibrio alginolyticus, which is best known for its polar sheathed flagellum and high-speed rotation. We determined in situ structure of the motor at unprecedented resolution and revealed the unique pr

SUBMITTER: Zhu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6989802 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature