Energy conversion mechanism of bacterial flagellar supramolecular motor

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Harmonized supramolecular machinery for motility and its diversity
• Project/Area Number: 24117004
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Homma Michio 名古屋大学, 理学研究科, 教授 (50209342)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 南野 徹 大阪大学, 生命機能研究科, 准教授 (20402993) ; 加藤 貴之 大阪大学, 生命機能研究科, 助教 (20423155)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-06-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 細菌べん毛 / 生体エネルギー変換 / イオン駆動力 / モーター

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Bacterial flagellar motor is a supramolecular complex and exists at the base of flagellum in the cytoplasmic membrane. Bacteria can move by rotating the flagella as a screw. We revealed important residues of the stator and rotor proteins for the energy conversion of motor which is rotated by the sodium ion flow. Furthermore, we found that stator protein derived from the super thermophilic bacterium, which is thought to have branched at a very early stage of the evolutionary phylogenetic tree, can function in Escherichia coli. This gave the new concept on the origin of the flagellar motor. Furthermore, by precise measurement of rotation of the flagellar motor, we obtained the new insight of energy conversion mechanism when the stator and rotor interact with each other.

Free Research Field

生物物理