Torque-generating units of the bacterial flagellar motor step independently.
Measurements of the variance in rotation period of tethered cells as a function of mean rotation rate have shown that the flagellar motor of Escherichia coli is a stepping motor. Here, by measurement of the variance in rotation period as a function of the number of active torque-generating units, it is shown that each unit steps independently.
Samuel
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AD
Rowland Institute for Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
Berg
H C
HC
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005407:Flagella / Q000502:physiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D007544:Isopropyl Thiogalactoside / Q000494:pharmacology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D012399:Rotation; D019415:Torque
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; C063010:MotA protein, Bacteria; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007544:Isopropyl Thiogalactoside