English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Many bacterial species use gliding motility in natural habitats because external flagella function poorly on hard surfaces. However, the mechanism(s) of gliding remain elusive because surface motility structures are not apparent. Here, we characterized the dynamics of the Myxococcus xanthus gliding motor protein AglR, a homolog of the Escherichia coli flagella stator protein MotA. We observed that AglR decorated a helical structure, and the AglR helices rotated when cells were suspended in liquid or when cells moved on agar surfaces. With photoactivatable localization microscopy, we found that single molecules of AglR, unlike MotA/MotB, can move laterally within the membrane in helical trajectories. AglR slowed down transiently at gliding surfaces, accumulating in clusters. Our work shows that the untethered gliding motors of M. xanthus, by moving within the membrane, can transform helical motion into linear driving forces that push against the surface.

Flagella stator homologs function as motors for myxobacterial gliding motility by moving in helical trajectories