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Curvature Generation and Engineering Principles from Shewanella oneidensis Multi-flagellin Flagellum
Qing Lou1,2, Hongcheng Fan2,3, Yang Liu1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.
ACS Nano
|July 8, 2025
Summary
Structural insights into the flagellum of Shewanella oneidensis reveal how its unique composition drives microbial motility. This understanding could enable the engineering of novel nanoscale biomimetic systems.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Structural Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Microbial motility via flagella is crucial for survival and spread.
- Understanding flagellar structure is key to engineering microbe-based microbots.
- Native flagellum structures are often absent, limiting research.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine the structural basis of motility in Shewanella oneidensis.
- Elucidate molecular interactions within the flagellum's components.
- Identify mechanisms enabling propulsive motility.
Main Methods:
- Cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET)
- Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM)
- Structural analysis of flagellar components
Main Results:
- Captured structures of the Shewanella oneidensis flagellum during motion.
- Identified varying compositions of flagellin isoforms (FlaA, FlaB) in the filament.
- Revealed distinct inter-subunit interactions at residues 129 and 134 influencing motility.
- Determined the hook's larger curvature and the hook-filament junction's role in reconciling component incompatibility.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals the molecular mechanism of propulsive motility in Shewanella oneidensis.
- Understanding flagellar structure provides engineering principles for nanoscale biomimetic systems.
- This research advances the potential for microbe-based microbot applications.
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