Insight into adaptive remodeling of the rotor ring complex of the bacterial flagellar motor
Highlights: • Adaptive remodeling of the flagellar motor ring is responsible for motor switching. • Helix{sub MC} connecting FliG{sub M} and FliG{sub C} is responsible for the switching. • A CW-locked deletion of FliG suppresses the oligomerization of FliG in solution. • The CW-locked deletion reduces the binding affinity of FliG for FliM. • We provide an insight into structural remodeling of the flagellar motor. The bacterial flagellar motor rotates in both counterclockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) directions. FliG, FliM and FliN form the C ring on the cytoplasmic face of the MS ring made of a transmembrane protein, FliF. The C ring acts not only as a rotor but also as a switch of the direction of motor rotation. FliG consists of three domains: FliG{sub N}, FliG{sub M} and FliG{sub C}. FliG{sub N} directly binds to FliF. Intermolecular interactions between FliG{sub M} and FliG{sub C} drive FliG ring formation. FliG{sub M} is responsible for the interaction with FliM. FliG{sub C} is involved in the interaction with the stator protein MotA. Adaptive remodeling of the C ring occurs when the motor switches between the CCW and CW states. However, it remained unknown how. Here, we report the effects of a CW-locked deletion mutation (ΔPEV) in FliG of Thermotaoga maritia (Tm-FliG) on FliG–FliG and FliG–FliM interactions. The PEV deletion stabilized the intramolecular interaction between FliG{sub M} and FliG{sub C}, thereby suppressing the oligomerization of Tm-FliG{sub MC} in solution. This deletion also induced a conformational change of Helix{sub MC} connecting FliG{sub M} and FliG{sub C} to reduce the binding affinity of Tm-FliG{sub MC} for FliM. We will discuss adaptive remodeling of the C ring responsible for flagellar motor switching.