Characterization of the Flagellar Collar Reveals Structural Plasticity Essential for Spirochete Motility
Yunjie Chang, Hui Xu, Md A. Motaleb, Jun Liu
Abstract
Many spirochetes cause serious human diseases. They are well recognized by their distinct morphology and motility. Spirochete motility is driven by a periplasmic flagellum, which possesses a unique collar essential for flagellar assembly and spirochete motility. Here, we discover two novel collar proteins in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. We demonstrate, for the first time, that the collar is a multiprotein complex with a remarkable plasticity that enables the motor to accommodate the highly curved membrane of spirochetes and generate the high torque necessary for spirochete motility.
Topics & Concepts
Periplasmic spaceBorrelia burgdorferiFlagellumBiologyCell biologyMotilityMechanosensitive channelsMicrobiologyBorrelia afzeliiPlasticityGliding motilityBorreliaBacteriaStructural plasticityMyxococcus xanthusBartonella species infections researchFungal Infections and StudiesVeterinary medicine and infectious diseases