Kt. Hughes et al., SENSING STRUCTURAL INTERMEDIATES IN BACTERIAL FLAGELLAR ASSEMBLY BY EXPORT OF A NEGATIVE REGULATOR, Science, 262(5137), 1993, pp. 1277-1280
The ability of a regulatory protein to sense the integrity of the bact
erial flagellar structure was investigated. In response to a defective
hook-basal body complex, the anti-sigma(28) FlgM protein inhibits fla
gellin transcription. In cells with a functional hook-basal body compl
ex, the flagellin genes are transcribed normally and the FlgM protein
is expelled into the growth medium. In strains with a defective hook-b
asal body structure, FlgM is absent from the media. The presence of fl
agellin protein in the media is substantially reduced in strains carry
ing a FlgM-LacZ protein fusion, suggesting that the fusion is blocking
the flagellar export apparatus. These results suggest that the FlgM p
rotein assesses the integrity of the flagellar hook-basal body complex
by itself being a substrate for export by the flagellar-specific expo
rt apparatus.