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Bacterial flagellar diversity in the post-genomic era
Mark J Pallen1, Charles W Penn, Roy R Chaudhuri
1Bacterial Pathogenesis and Genomics Unit, Division of Immunity and Infection, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK B15 2TT. m.pallen@bham.ac.uk
Trends in Microbiology
|April 9, 2005
Summary
Researchers explored bacterial flagellar systems beyond E. coli and Salmonella, discovering new flagellar protein homologues. This broadens our understanding of flagellar biosynthesis across diverse bacterial species.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Flagellar biosynthesis is well-characterized in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica.
- Genome sequencing reveals flagellar genes in diverse bacterial lineages.
- The generalizability of the E. coli/S. enterica flagellar model is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the extent to which the E. coli/S. enterica flagellar biosynthesis paradigm applies to other bacteria.
- To identify novel flagellar components and their homologues in distantly related species.
Main Methods:
- Utilized homology searches across bacterial genomes.
- Analyzed sequences for flagellar component homologues.
Main Results:
- Discovered numerous previously unrecognized homologues of flagellar components.
- Identified novel FlgM, FlgN, FliK, and FliO homologues.
- Found homology between FliK proteins and YscP (a type-III secretion system protein).
- Described a new family of flagellar proteins, FlhX, resembling the cytoplasmic domain of FlhB.
Conclusions:
- The E. coli/S. enterica flagellar biosynthesis paradigm has limited generalizability.
- Novel flagellar protein families and homologues exist in diverse bacteria.
- Comparative genomics reveals conserved and divergent aspects of flagellar systems.