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Signal transduction in Halobacterium depends on fumarate.
Author(s) -
Marwan W.,
Schäfer W.,
Oesterhelt D.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb08118.x
Subject(s) - biology , mutant , membrane , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , wild type , biochemistry , fumarate reductase , mitochondrion , succinate dehydrogenase , gene
The isolation of a straight‐swimming mutant of Halobacterium halobium is reported which has a defect in switching the rotational sense of its flagellar motor. Cells of this mutant strain could be complemented with an extract from wild‐type cells by mild sonication and resealing of the cells in fresh medium. The switch factor responsible for restoration of wild‐type behaviour was isolated from membrane vesicle preparations. Its chemical nature is proposed to be that of fumarate on the basis of chemical, chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis. Since the switch factor (fumarate) was released from a membrane‐bound state by heat and was accumulated into mutant cells that lack this compound, it is proposed that a membrane‐bound protein exists which specifically binds the switch factor. Both the switch factor and fumarate cause stimulus‐induced responses in cells at the level of one or few molecules.