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Structure of the bacterial flagellar protofilament and implications for a switch for supercoiling

Author

Listed:
  • Fadel A. Samatey

    (Protonic NanoMachine Project, ERATO, JST)

  • Katsumi Imada

    (Protonic NanoMachine Project, ERATO, JST)

  • Shigehiro Nagashima

    (Protonic NanoMachine Project, ERATO, JST)

  • Ferenc Vonderviszt

    (University of Veszprém)

  • Takashi Kumasaka

    (RIKEN Harima Institute)

  • Masaki Yamamoto

    (RIKEN Harima Institute)

  • Keiichi Namba

    (Protonic NanoMachine Project, ERATO, JST
    Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd)

Abstract

The bacterial flagellar filament is a helical propeller constructed from 11 protofilaments of a single protein, flagellin. The filament switches between left- and right-handed supercoiled forms when bacteria switch their swimming mode between running and tumbling. Supercoiling is produced by two different packing interactions of flagellin called L and R. In switching from L to R, the intersubunit distance (∼52 Å) along the protofilament decreases by 0.8 Å. Changes in the number of L and R protofilaments govern supercoiling of the filament. Here we report the 2.0 Å resolution crystal structure of a Salmonella flagellin fragment of relative molecular mass 41,300. The crystal contains pairs of antiparallel straight protofilaments with the R-type repeat. By simulated extension of the protofilament model, we have identified possible switch regions responsible for the bi-stable mechanical switch that generates the 0.8 Å difference in repeat distance.

Suggested Citation

  • Fadel A. Samatey & Katsumi Imada & Shigehiro Nagashima & Ferenc Vonderviszt & Takashi Kumasaka & Masaki Yamamoto & Keiichi Namba, 2001. "Structure of the bacterial flagellar protofilament and implications for a switch for supercoiling," Nature, Nature, vol. 410(6826), pages 331-337, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:410:y:2001:i:6826:d:10.1038_35066504
    DOI: 10.1038/35066504
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    Cited by:

    1. Nicholas M Thomson & Josie L Ferreira & Teige R Matthews-Palmer & Morgan Beeby & Mark J Pallen, 2018. "Giant flagellins form thick flagellar filaments in two species of marine γ-proteobacteria," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-12, November.

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