The elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of ion selectivity of hybrid bacterial flagellar motors

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Harmonized supramolecular machinery for motility and its diversity
• Project/Area Number: 24117005
• 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: Toyo University
• Principal Investigator: ITO MASAHIRO 東洋大学, 生命科学部, 教授 (80297738)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): IMADA Katsumi 大阪大学, 大学院理学研究科, 教授 (40346143) ; TAKAHASHI Yuka 東洋大学, バイオナノエレクトロニクス研究センター, 研究助手 (80757980)
• Research Collaborator: SOWA Yoshiyuki ; FUJINAMI Shun ; TAGUCHI Atsuko ; YAMAMOTO Mami ; TERAHARA Naoya ; NOGUCHI Yukina ; SANO Motohiko ; IMAZAWA Riku ; WAKABAYASHI Yu ; NAGANAWA Shun ; USUI Yoshiaki
• Project Period (FY): 2012-06-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: べん毛モーター / 好アルカリ性細菌 / イオンチャネル / ハイブリッドモーター / 枯草菌 / 固定子 / プロトン駆動力 / ナトリウム駆動力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Many bacteria migrate through the environment using the flagellar apparatus which is a motion organelle. Until now, the flagellar motor was known to be driven by an ion motive force such as proton and sodium ion. In this study, we succeeded to isolate Paenibacillus sp. TCA20 with flagellar motors driven by divalent cations such as calcium ions and magnesium ions for the first time in the world. Besides this, we also characterized nonconventional cation-coupled flagellar motors derived from the alkaliphilic Bacillus. Differences in ion selective permeability between these flagellar motors and conventional motors were elucidated using molecular biological techniques. Based on the results of this study, it is expected to create artificial nanomachines and molecular switches that can selectively use driving energy.

Free Research Field

極限環境微生物学、微生物生理学