In molecular biology, the flagellar motor switch is a protein complex. In Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium it regulates the direction of flagellar rotation and hence controls swimming behaviour.[1] The switch is a complex apparatus that responds to signals transduced by the chemotaxis sensory signalling system during chemotactic behaviour.[1] CheY, the chemotaxis response regulator, is believed to act directly on the switch to induce a switch in the flagellar motor direction of rotation.
Fli proteins[]
The switch complex comprises at least three proteins - FliG, FliM and FliN. It has been shown that FliG interacts with FliM, FliM interacts with itself, and FliM interacts with FliN.[2] Several amino acids within the middle third of FliG appear to be strongly involved in the FliG-FliM interaction, with residues near the N- or C-termini being less important.[2] Such clustering suggests that FliG-FliM interaction plays a central role in switching.
Analysis of the FliG, FliM and FliN sequences shows that none are especially hydrophobic or appear to be integral membrane proteins.[3] This result is consistent with other evidence suggesting that the proteins may be peripheral to the membrane, possibly mounted on the basal body M ring.[3][4] FliG is present in about 25 copies per flagellum. The structure of the C-terminal domain of FliG is known, this domain functions specifically in motor rotation.[5]
References[]
^ abRoman SJ, Frantz BB, Matsumura P (October 1993). "Gene sequence, overproduction, purification and determination of the wild-type level of the Escherichia coli flagellar switch protein FliG". Gene. 133 (1): 103–8. doi:10.1016/0378-1119(93)90232-R. PMID8224881.
^Lloyd SA, Whitby FG, Blair DF, Hill CP (July 1999). "Structure of the C-terminal domain of FliG, a component of the rotor in the bacterial flagellar motor". Nature. 400 (6743): 472–5. Bibcode:1999Natur.400..472L. doi:10.1038/22794. PMID10440379. S2CID4367420.