Sense and sensibility: flagellum-mediated gene regulation.
The flagellum, a rotary engine required for motility in many bacteria, plays key roles in gene expression. It has been known for some time that flagellar substructures serve as checkpoints that coordinate flagellar gene expression with assembly. Less well understood, however, are other more global effects on gene expression. For instance, the flagellum acts as a 'wetness' sensor in Salmonella typhimurium, and as a mechanosensor in other bacteria. Additionally, it has been implicated in a variety of bacterial processes, including biofilm formation, pathogenesis and symbiosis. Although for many of these processes it might be simply that motility is required, in other cases it seems that the flagellum plays an underappreciated role in regulating gene expression.
Anderson
Jennifer K
JK
Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
Smith
Todd G
TG
Hoover
Timothy R
TR
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016935:Caulobacter crescentus / Q000235:genetics; D020565:Epsilonproteobacteria / Q000235:genetics; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C064971:FliA protein, Bacteria; D012808:Sigma Factor