scholarly journals Novel Insights into Conformational Rearrangements of the Bacterial Flagellar Switch Complex

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomofumi Sakai ◽  
Tomoko Miyata ◽  
Naoya Terahara ◽  
Koichiro Mori ◽  
Yumi Inoue ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe flagellar motor can spin in both counterclockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) directions. The flagellar motor consists of a rotor and multiple stator units, which act as a proton channel. The rotor is composed of the transmembrane MS ring made of FliF and the cytoplasmic C ring consisting of FliG, FliM, and FliN. The C ring is directly involved in rotation and directional switching. TheSalmonellaFliF-FliG deletion fusion motor missing 56 residues from the C terminus of FliF and 94 residues from the N terminus of FliG keeps a domain responsible for the interaction with the stator intact, but its motor function is reduced significantly. Here, we report the structure and function of the FliF-FliG deletion fusion motor. The FliF-FliG deletion fusion not only resulted in a strong CW switch bias but also affected rotor-stator interactions coupled with proton translocation through the proton channel of the stator unit. The energy coupling efficiency of the deletion fusion motor was the same as that of the wild-type motor. Extragenic suppressor mutations in FliG, FliM, or FliN not only relieved the strong CW switch bias but also increased the motor speed at low load. The FliF-FliG deletion fusion made intersubunit interactions between C ring proteins tighter compared to the wild-type motor, whereas the suppressor mutations affect such tighter intersubunit interactions. We propose that a change of intersubunit interactions between the C ring proteins may be required for high-speed motor rotation as well as direction switching.IMPORTANCEThe bacterial flagellar motor is a bidirectional rotary motor for motility and chemotaxis, which often plays an important role in infection. The motor is a large transmembrane protein complex composed of a rotor and multiple stator units, which also act as a proton channel. Motor torque is generated through their cyclic association and dissociation coupled with proton translocation through the proton channel. A large cytoplasmic ring of the motor, called C ring, is responsible for rotation and switching by interacting with the stator, but the mechanism remains unknown. By analyzing the structure and function of the wild-type motor and a mutant motor missing part of the C ring connecting itself with the transmembrane rotor ring while keeping a stator-interacting domain for bidirectional torque generation intact, we found interesting clues to the change in the C ring conformation for the switching and rotation involving loose and tight intersubunit interactions.

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1255
Author(s):  
Yusuke V. Morimoto ◽  
Keiichi Namba ◽  
Tohru Minamino

The bacterial flagellar motor converts the energy of proton flow through the MotA/MotB complex into mechanical works required for motor rotation. The rotational force is generated by electrostatic interactions between the stator protein MotA and the rotor protein FliG. The Arg-90 and Glu-98 from MotA interact with Asp-289 and Arg-281 of FliG, respectively. An increase in the expression level of the wild-type MotA/MotB complex inhibits motility of the gfp-motBfliG(R281V) mutant but not the fliG(R281V) mutant, suggesting that the MotA/GFP-MotB complex cannot work together with wild-type MotA/MotB in the presence of the fliG(R281V) mutation. However, it remains unknown why. Here, we investigated the effect of the GFP fusion to MotB at its N-terminus on the MotA/MotB function. Over-expression of wild-type MotA/MotB significantly reduced the growth rate of the gfp-motBfliG(R281V) mutant. The over-expression of the MotA/GFP-MotB complex caused an excessive proton leakage through its proton channel, thereby inhibiting cell growth. These results suggest that the GFP tag on the MotB N-terminus affects well-regulated proton translocation through the MotA/MotB proton channel. Therefore, we propose that the N-terminal cytoplasmic tail of MotB couples the gating of the proton channel with the MotA–FliG interaction responsible for torque generation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (37) ◽  
pp. 18445-18454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan K. Itakura ◽  
Kher Xing Chan ◽  
Nicky Atkinson ◽  
Leif Pallesen ◽  
Lianyong Wang ◽  
...  

A phase-separated, liquid-like organelle called the pyrenoid mediates CO2fixation in the chloroplasts of nearly all eukaryotic algae. While most algae have 1 pyrenoid per chloroplast, here we describe a mutant in the model algaChlamydomonasthat has on average 10 pyrenoids per chloroplast. Characterization of the mutant leads us to propose a model where multiple pyrenoids are favored by an increase in the surface area of the starch sheath that surrounds and binds to the liquid-like pyrenoid matrix. We find that the mutant’s phenotypes are due to disruption of a gene, which we call StArch Granules Abnormal 1 (SAGA1) because starch sheath granules, or plates, in mutants lacking SAGA1 are more elongated and thinner than those of wild type. SAGA1 contains a starch binding motif, suggesting that it may directly regulate starch sheath morphology. SAGA1 localizes to multiple puncta and streaks in the pyrenoid and physically interacts with the small and large subunits of the carbon-fixing enzyme Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase), a major component of the liquid-like pyrenoid matrix. Our findings suggest a biophysical mechanism by which starch sheath morphology affects pyrenoid number and CO2-concentrating mechanism function, advancing our understanding of the structure and function of this biogeochemically important organelle. More broadly, we propose that the number of phase-separated organelles can be regulated by imposing constraints on their surface area.


1996 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
pp. 673-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
A J Kreuz ◽  
A Simcox ◽  
D Maughan

Drosophila indirect flight muscle (IFM) contains two different types of tropomyosin: a standard 284-amino acid muscle tropomyosin, Ifm-TmI, encoded by the TmI gene, and two > 400 amino acid tropomyosins, TnH-33 and TnH-34, encoded by TmII. The two IFM-specific TnH isoforms are unique tropomyosins with a COOH-terminal extension of approximately 200 residues which is hydrophobic and rich in prolines. Previous analysis of a hypomorphic TmI mutant, Ifm(3)3, demonstrated that Ifm-TmI is necessary for proper myofibrillar assembly, but no null TmI mutant or TmII mutant which affects the TnH isoforms have been reported. In the current report, we show that four flightless mutants (Warmke et al., 1989) are alleles of TmI, and characterize a deficiency which deletes both TmI and TmII. We find that haploidy of TmI causes myofibrillar disruptions and flightless behavior, but that haploidy of TmII causes neither. Single fiber mechanics demonstrates that power output is much lower in the TmI haploid line (32% of wild-type) than in the TmII haploid line (73% of wild-type). In myofibers nearly depleted of Ifm-TmI, net power output is virtually abolished (< 1% of wild-type) despite the presence of an organized fibrillar core (approximately 20% of wild-type). The results suggest Ifm-TmI (the standard tropomyosin) plays a key role in fiber structure, power production, and flight, with reduced Ifm-TmI expression producing corresponding changes of IFM structure and function. In contrast, reduced expression of the TnH isoforms has an unexpectedly mild effect on IFM structure and function.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charley J. Hubbard ◽  
Marcus T. Brock ◽  
Linda T.A. van Diepen ◽  
Loïs Maignien ◽  
Brent E. Ewers ◽  
...  

AbstractPlants alter chemical and physical properties of soil, and thereby influence rhizosphere microbial community structure. The structure of microbial communities may in turn affect plant performance. Yet, outside of simple systems with pairwise interacting partners, the plant genetic pathways that influence microbial community structure remain largely unknown, as are the performance feedbacks of microbial communities selected by the host plant genotype. We investigated the role of the plant circadian clock in shaping rhizosphere community structure and function. We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize rhizosphere bacterial communities of Arabidopsis thaliana between day and night time points, and tested for differences in community structure between wild-type (Ws) vs. clock mutant (toc1-21, ztl-30) genotypes. We then characterized microbial community function, by growing wild-type plants in soils with an overstory history of Ws, toc1-21 or ztl-30 and measuring plant performance. We observed that rhizosphere community structure varied between day and night time points, and clock misfunction significantly altered rhizosphere communities. Finally, wild-type plants germinated earlier and were larger when inoculated with soils having an overstory history of wild-type in comparison to clock mutant genotypes. Our findings suggest the circadian clock of the plant host influences rhizosphere community structure and function.


2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Consolino ◽  
Franck Duclos ◽  
Jane Lee ◽  
Roger A. Williamson ◽  
Kevin P. Campbell ◽  
...  

α-Sarcoglycan-deficient ( Sgca-null) mice provide potential for elucidating the pathogenesis of limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D (LGMD 2D) as well as for studying the effectiveness of therapeutic strategies. Skeletal muscles of Sgca-null mice demonstrate an early onset of extensive fiber necrosis, degeneration, and regeneration, but the progression of the pathology and the effects on muscle structure and function throughout the life span are not known. Thus the phenotypic accuracy of the Sgca-null mouse as a model of LGMD 2D has not been fully established. To investigate skeletal muscle structure and function in the absence of α-sarcoglycan throughout the life span, we analyzed extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles of male and female Sgca-null and wild-type mice at 3, 6, 12, and 18 mo of age. Maximum isometric forces and powers were measured in vitro at 25°C. Also determined were individual myofiber cross-sectional areas and numbers, water content, and the proportion of the cross section occupied by connective tissue. Muscle masses were 40–100% larger for Sgca-null compared with age- and gender-matched wild-type mice, with the majority of the increased muscle mass for Sgca-null mice attributable to greater connective tissue and water contents. Although the greater mass of muscles in Sgca-null mice was primarily noncontractile material, absolute forces and powers were maintained near control levels at all ages, indicating a successful adaptation to the deficiency in α-sarcoglycan not observed at any age in LGMD 2D patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuya Suzuki ◽  
Yusuke V. Morimoto ◽  
Kodai Oono ◽  
Fumio Hayashi ◽  
Kenji Oosawa ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe bacterial flagellar motor is composed of a rotor and a dozen stators and converts the ion flux through the stator into torque. Each stator unit alternates in its attachment to and detachment from the rotor even during rotation. In some species, stator assembly depends on the input energy, but it remains unclear how an electrochemical potential across the membrane (e.g., proton motive force [PMF]) or ion flux is involved in stator assembly dynamics. Here, we focused on pH dependence of a slow motile MotA(M206I) mutant ofSalmonella. The MotA(M206I) motor produces torque comparable to that of the wild-type motor near stall, but its rotation rate is considerably decreased as the external load is reduced. Rotation assays of flagella labeled with 1-μm beads showed that the rotation rate of the MotA(M206I) motor is increased by lowering the external pH whereas that of the wild-type motor is not. Measurements of the speed produced by a single stator unit using 1-μm beads showed that the unit speed of the MotA(M206I) is about 60% of that of the wild-type and that a decrease in external pH did not affect the MotA(M206I) unit speed. Analysis of the subcellular stator localization revealed that the number of functional stators is restored by lowering the external pH. The pH-dependent improvement of stator assembly was observed even when the PMF was collapsed and proton transfer was inhibited. These results suggest that MotA-Met206 is responsible for not only load-dependent energy coupling between the proton influx and rotation but also pH-dependent stator assembly.IMPORTANCEThe bacterial flagellar motor is a rotary nanomachine driven by the electrochemical transmembrane potential (ion motive force). About 10 stators (MotA/MotB complexes) are docked around a rotor, and the stator recruitment depends on the load, ion motive force, and coupling ion flux. The MotA(M206I) mutation slows motor rotation and decreases the number of docked stators inSalmonella. We show that lowering the external pH improves the assembly of the mutant stators. Neither the collapse of the ion motive force nor a mutation mimicking the proton-binding state inhibited stator localization to the motor. These results suggest that MotA-Met206 is involved in torque generation and proton translocation and that stator assembly is stabilized by protonation of the stator.


2016 ◽  
Vol 148 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. DeCoursey ◽  
Deri Morgan ◽  
Boris Musset ◽  
Vladimir V. Cherny

The voltage-gated proton channel (HV1) is a widely distributed, proton-specific ion channel with unique properties. Since 2006, when genes for HV1 were identified, a vast array of mutations have been generated and characterized. Accessing this potentially useful resource is hindered, however, by the sheer number of mutations and interspecies differences in amino acid numbering. This review organizes all existing information in a logical manner to allow swift identification of studies that have characterized any particular mutation. Although much can be gained from this meta-analysis, important questions about the inner workings of HV1 await future revelation.


Blood ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 91 (12) ◽  
pp. 4593-4599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony L. Yang ◽  
Jisong Cui ◽  
Alnawaz Rehumtulla ◽  
Angela Yang ◽  
Micheline Moussalli ◽  
...  

Factor V (FV) is a central regulator of hemostasis, serving both as a critical cofactor for the prothrombinase activity of factor Xa and the target for proteolytic inactivation by the anticoagulant, activated protein C (APC). To examine the evolutionary conservation of FV procoagulant activity and functional inactivation by APC, we cloned and sequenced the coding region of murine FV cDNA and generated recombinant wild-type and mutant murine FV proteins. The murine FV cDNA encodes a 2,183-amino acid protein. Sequence comparison shows that the A1-A3 and C1-C2 domains of FV are highly conserved, demonstrating greater than 84% sequence identity between murine and human, and 60% overall amino acid identity among human, bovine, and murine FV sequences. In contrast, only 35% identity among all three species is observed for the poorly conserved B domain. The arginines at all thrombin cleavage sites and the R305 and R504 APC cleavage sites (corresponding to amino acid residues R306 and R506 in human FV) are invariant in all three species. Point mutants were generated to substitute glutamine at R305, R504, or both (R305/R504). Wild-type and all three mutant FV recombinant proteins show equivalent FV procoagulant activity. Single mutations at R305 or R504 result in partial resistance of FV to APC inactivation, whereas recombinant murine FV carrying both mutations (R305Q/R504Q) is nearly completely APC resistant. Thus, the structure and function of FV and its interaction with APC are highly conserved across mammalian species.


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