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The cryo-EM structure of the bacterial flagellum cap complex suggests a molecular mechanism for filament elongation
The bacterial flagellum is a remarkable molecular motor, whose primary function in bacteria is to facilitate motility through the rotation of a filament protruding from the bacterial cell. A cap complex, consisting of an oligomer of the protein FliD, is localized at the tip of the flagellum, and is...
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Published in: | Nature communications 2020-06, Vol.11 (1), p.3210-3210, Article 3210 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | The bacterial flagellum is a remarkable molecular motor, whose primary function in bacteria is to facilitate motility through the rotation of a filament protruding from the bacterial cell. A cap complex, consisting of an oligomer of the protein FliD, is localized at the tip of the flagellum, and is essential for filament assembly, as well as adherence to surfaces in some bacteria. However, the structure of the intact cap complex, and the molecular basis for its interaction with the filament, remains elusive. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of the
Campylobacter jejuni
cap complex, which reveals that FliD is pentameric, with the N-terminal region of the protomer forming an extensive set of contacts across several subunits, that contribute to FliD oligomerization. We also demonstrate that the native
C. jejuni
flagellum filament is 11-stranded, contrary to a previously published cryo-EM structure, and propose a molecular model for the filament-cap interaction.
FliD forms a cap complex at the tip of bacterial flagella and is essential for flagellum filament assembly. Here, the authors present the cryo-EM structure of the
Campylobacter jejuni
cap complex, revealing a pentameric assembly of FliD and further show that the
C. jejuni
flagellum filament is 11-stranded. |
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ISSN: | 2041-1723 2041-1723 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-020-16981-4 |