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. 2008 Jun 20;320(5883):1636-8.
doi: 10.1126/science.1157877.

A molecular clutch disables flagella in the Bacillus subtilis biofilm

Kris M Blair  1 , Linda Turner, Jared T Winkelman, Howard C Berg, Daniel B Kearns
Affiliations

A molecular clutch disables flagella in the Bacillus subtilis biofilm

Kris M Blair et al. Science. .

Abstract

Biofilms are multicellular aggregates of sessile bacteria encased by an extracellular matrix and are important medically as a source of drug-resistant microbes. In Bacillus subtilis, we found that an operon required for biofilm matrix biosynthesis also encoded an inhibitor of motility, EpsE. EpsE arrested flagellar rotation in a manner similar to that of a clutch, by disengaging motor force-generating elements in cells embedded in the biofilm matrix. The clutch is a simple, rapid, and potentially reversible form of motility control.

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Comment in

  • Microbiology. How bacteria change gear.
    Berry RM, Armitage JP. Berry RM, et al. Science. 2008 Jun 20;320(5883):1599-600. doi: 10.1126/science.1160444. Science. 2008. PMID: 18566274 No abstract available.

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