Cryo-EM Structure of the Flagellar Motor Complex from <i>Paenibacillus</i> sp. TCA20

The bacterial flagellum, a complex nanomachine composed of numerous proteins, is utilized by bacteria for swimming in various environments and plays a crucial role in their survival and infection. The flagellar motor is composed of a rotor and stator complexes, with each stator unit functioning as a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sakura Onoe, Tatsuro Nishikino, Miki Kinoshita, Norihiro Takekawa, Tohru Minamino, Katsumi Imada, Keiichi Namba, Jun-ichi Kishikawa, Takayuki Kato
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Biomolecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/3/435
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Summary:The bacterial flagellum, a complex nanomachine composed of numerous proteins, is utilized by bacteria for swimming in various environments and plays a crucial role in their survival and infection. The flagellar motor is composed of a rotor and stator complexes, with each stator unit functioning as an ion channel that converts flow from outside of cell membrane into rotational motion. <i>Paenibacillus</i> sp. TCA20 was discovered in a hot spring, and a structural analysis was conducted on the stator complex using cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate its function. Two of the three structures (Classes 1 and 3) were found to have structural properties typical for other stator complexes. In contrast, in Class 2 structures, the pentamer ring of the A subunits forms a C-shape, with lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (LMNG) bound to the periplasmic side of the interface between the A and B subunits. This interface is conserved in all stator complexes, suggesting that hydrophobic ligands and lipids can bind to this interface, a feature that could potentially be utilized in the development of novel antibiotics aimed at regulating cell motility and infection.
ISSN:2218-273X