Journal article

Publication year: 2015

Pages: 993-1001

Journal: Molecular Microbiology

Volume number: 96

Issue number: 5

ISSN: 0950-382X

Open access status: Bronze

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.12984

Publisher: Wiley

Abstract: 
The bacterial flagellar motor is an intricate nanomachine which converts ion gradients into rotational movement. Torque is created by ion-dependent stator complexes which surround the rotor in a ring. Shewanella oneidensisMR-1 expresses two distinct types of stator units: the Na+-dependent PomA(4)B(2) and the H+-dependent MotA(4)B(2). Here, we have explored the stator unit dynamics in the MR-1 flagellar system by using mCherry-labeled PomAB and MotAB units. We observed a total of between 7 and 11 stator units in each flagellar motor. Both types of stator units exchanged between motors and a pool of stator complexes in the membrane, and the exchange rate of MotAB, but not of PomAB, units was dependent on the environmental Na+-levels. In 200mM Na+, the numbers of PomAB and MotAB units in wild-type motors was determined to be about 7:2 (PomAB:MotAB), shifting to about 6:5 without Na+. Significantly, the average swimming speed of MR-1 cells at low Na+ conditions was increased in the presence of MotAB. These data strongly indicate that the S.oneidensis flagellar motors simultaneously use H+ and Na+ driven stators in a configuration governed by MotAB incorporation efficiency in response to environmental Na+ levels.

Harvard Citation style: Paulick, A., Delalez, N., Brenzinger, S., Steel, B., Berry, R., Armitage, J., et al. (2015) Dual stator dynamics in the Shewanella oneidensisMR-1 flagellar motor, Molecular Microbiology, 96(5), pp. 993-1001. https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.12984

APA Citation style: Paulick, A., Delalez, N., Brenzinger, S., Steel, B., Berry, R., Armitage, J., & Thormann, K. (2015). Dual stator dynamics in the Shewanella oneidensisMR-1 flagellar motor. Molecular Microbiology. 96(5), 993-1001. https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.12984