DOI: 10.1128/jb.169.2.514-518.1987. Unidirectional, intermittent rotation of the flagellum of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Unidirectional, intermittent rotation of the flagellum of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

10.1128/jb.169.2.514-518.1987

Crossref journal-article

American Society for Microbiology

Journal of Bacteriology (235)

Abstract

The single flagellum of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides was found to be medially located on the cell body. Observation of free-swimming bacteria, and bacteria tethered by their flagellar filaments, revealed that the flagellum could only rotate in the clockwise direction; switching of the direction of rotation was never observed. Flagellar rotation stopped periodically, typically several times a minute for up to several seconds each. Reorientation of swimming cells appeared to be the result of Brownian rotation during the stop periods. The flagellar filament displayed polymorphism; detached and nonrotating filaments were usually seen as large-amplitude helices of such short wavelength that they appeared as flat coils or circles, whereas the filaments on swimming cells showed a normal (small-amplitude, long-wavelength) helical form. With attached filaments, the transition from the normal to the coiled form occurred when the flagellar motor stopped rotating, proceeding from the distal end towards the cell body. It is possible that both the relaxation process and the smaller frictional resistance after relaxation may act to enhance the rate of reorientation of the cell. The transition from the coiled to the normal form occurred when the motor restarted, proceeding from the proximal end outwards, which might further contribute to the reorientation of the cell before it reaches a stable swimming geometry.

Bibliography

Armitage, J. P., & Macnab, R. M. (1987). Unidirectional, intermittent rotation of the flagellum of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Journal of Bacteriology, 169(2), 514â518.

Authors 2

J P Armitage (first)
R M Macnab (additional)

References 17 Referenced 166

Berg H. C. and S. Khan. 1983. A model for the flagellar rotary motor p. 485-497. In H. Sund and C. Veeger (ed.) Motility and recognition in cell biology. Walter de Gruyter & Co. Berlin. (10.1515/9783111533407-030)
Block , S. M. , J. E. Segall , and H. C. Berg . 1982 . Impulse responses in bacterial chemotaxis . Cell 31 : 215 - 226 . (10.1016/0092-8674(82)90421-4) / Cell / Impulse responses in bacterial chemotaxis by Block S. M. (1982)
Boyd , A. , G. Mandel , and M. Simon . 1982 . Integral membrane proteins required for bacterial motility and chemotaxis . Symp. Soc. Exp. Biol. 35 : 123 - 137 . / Symp. Soc. Exp. Biol. / Integral membrane proteins required for bacterial motility and chemotaxis by Boyd A. (1982)
Boyd , A. , and M. Simon . 1982 . Bacterial chemotaxis. Annu . Rev. Physiol. 44 : 501 - 517 . (10.1146/annurev.ph.44.030182.002441) / Rev. Physiol. / Bacterial chemotaxis. Annu by Boyd A. (1982)
Bromley , D. B. , and N. W. Charon . 1979 . Axial filament involvement in the motility of Leptospira interrogans . J. Bacteriol. 137 : 1406 - 1412 . (10.1128/jb.137.3.1406-1412.1979) / J. Bacteriol. / Axial filament involvement in the motility of Leptospira interrogans by Bromley D. B. (1979)
Clayton , R. K. 1960 . The induced synthesis of catalase in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides . Biochim. Biophys. Acta 37 : 503 - 519 . (10.1016/0006-3002(60)90507-2) / Biochim. Biophys. Acta / The induced synthesis of catalase in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides by Clayton R. K. (1960)
. Evans , M. C. W. , and J. P. Armitage . 1986 . Initiation of flagellar rotation in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. Evidence for the direct interaction of anionic uncouplers with the flagellar motor . FEBS Lett. 186 : 193 - 197 . / FEBS Lett. / Initiation of flagellar rotation in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. Evidence for the direct interaction of anionic uncouplers with the flagellar motor by Evans M. C. W. (1986)
Hotani , H. 1982 . Micro-video study of moving bacterial flagellar filaments. III. Cyclic transformation induced by mechanical force . J. Mol. Biol. 156 : 791 - 806 . (10.1016/0022-2836(82)90142-5) / J. Mol. Biol. / Micro-video study of moving bacterial flagellar filaments. III. Cyclic transformation induced by mechanical force by Hotani H. (1982)
Ishihara , A. , J , E. Segall , S. M. Block , and H. C. Berg . 1983 . Coordination of flagella on filamentous cells of Escherichia coli . J. Bacteriol. 155 : 228 - 237 . (10.1128/jb.155.1.228-237.1983) / J. Bacteriol. / Coordination of flagella on filamentous cells of Escherichia coli by Ishihara A. (1983)
Kamiya , R. , and S. Asakura . 1976 . Helical transformations of Salmonella flagella in vitro . J. Mol. Biol. 106 : 167 - 186 . (10.1016/0022-2836(76)90306-5) / J. Mol. Biol. / Helical transformations of Salmonella flagella in vitro by Kamiya R. (1976)
Kamiya , R. , H. Hotani , and S. Asakura . 1982 . Polymorphic transitions in bacterial flagella . Symp. Soc. Exp. Biol. 35 : 53 - 76 . / Symp. Soc. Exp. Biol. / Polymorphic transitions in bacterial flagella by Kamiya R. (1982)
Macnab , R. M. 1976 . Examination of bacterial flagella by dark-field microscopy . J. Clin. Microbiol. 4 : 258 - 265 . (10.1128/jcm.4.3.258-265.1976) / J. Clin. Microbiol. / Examination of bacterial flagella by dark-field microscopy by Macnab R. M. (1976)
Macnab , R. M. , and S. -I. Aizawa . 1984 . Bacterial motility and the bacterial flagellar motor. Annu . Rev. Biophys. Bioeng. 13 : 51 - 83 . (10.1146/annurev.bb.13.060184.000411) / Rev. Biophys. Bioeng. / Bacterial motility and the bacterial flagellar motor. Annu by Macnab R. M. (1984)
Macnab , R. M. , and D. P. Han . 1983 . Asynchronous switching of flagellar motors on a single bacterial cell . Cell 32 : 109 - 117 . (10.1016/0092-8674(83)90501-9) / Cell / Asynchronous switching of flagellar motors on a single bacterial cell by Macnab R. M. (1983)
Macnab , R. M. , and M. K. Ornston . 1977 . Normal-to-curly flagellar transitions and their role in bacterial tumbling. Stabilization of an alternative quaternary structure by mechanical force . J. Mol. Biol. 112 : 1 - 30 . (10.1016/S0022-2836(77)80153-8) / J. Mol. Biol. / Normal-to-curly flagellar transitions and their role in bacterial tumbling. Stabilization of an alternative quaternary structure by mechanical force by Macnab R. M. (1977)
Ravid , S. , and M. Eisenbach . 1984 . Minimal requirements for rotation of bacterial flagella . J. Bacteriol. 158 : 1208 - 1210 . (10.1128/jb.158.3.1208-1210.1984) / J. Bacteriol. / Minimal requirements for rotation of bacterial flagella by Ravid S. (1984)
Taylor , B. L. 1983 . Role of proton motive force in sensory transduction in bacteria. Annu . Rev. Microbiol. 37 : 551 - 573 . (10.1146/annurev.mi.37.100183.003003) / Rev. Microbiol. / Role of proton motive force in sensory transduction in bacteria. Annu by Taylor B. L. (1983)

Dates

Type	When
Created	8 years, 10 months ago (Nov. 2, 2016, 6:42 p.m.)
Deposited	4 years, 1 month ago (July 29, 2021, 1:36 p.m.)
Indexed	3 months, 3 weeks ago (May 13, 2025, 6:47 p.m.)
Issued	38 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 1987)
Published	38 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 1987)
Published Print	38 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 1987)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Armitage_1987, title={Unidirectional, intermittent rotation of the flagellum of Rhodobacter sphaeroides}, volume={169}, ISSN={1098-5530}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jb.169.2.514-518.1987}, DOI={10.1128/jb.169.2.514-518.1987}, number={2}, journal={Journal of Bacteriology}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Armitage, J P and Macnab, R M}, year={1987}, month=feb, pages={514–518} }

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