A molecular clutch disables flagella in the Bacillus subtilis biofilm.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 18566286.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.1157877.
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Abstract
Biofilms are multicellular aggregates of sessile bacteria encased by an extracellular matrix and are important medically as a source of drug-resistant microbes. In Bacillus subtilis, we found that an operon required for biofilm matrix biosynthesis also encoded an inhibitor of motility, EpsE. EpsE arrested flagellar rotation in a manner similar to that of a clutch, by disengaging motor force-generating elements in cells embedded in the biofilm matrix. The clutch is a simple, rapid, and potentially reversible form of motility control.
Medical subject headings
- Bacillus subtilis
- Bacterial Proteins
- Biofilms
- Flagella
- Molecular Motor Proteins