2022
FliL ring enhances the function of periplasmic flagella
Guo S, Xu H, Chang Y, Motaleb MA, Liu J. FliL ring enhances the function of periplasmic flagella. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2022, 119: e2117245119. PMID: 35254893, PMCID: PMC8931381, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117245119.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFlagellar motorBacterial motilityCryo-electron tomographyStator complexFlagellar proteinsMutant cellsPeriplasmic flagellaActive conformationSitu structureFascinating questionsSupramolecular complexesMotilityComplexesMotBOptimal functionFliLFlagellaIon fluxProteinFunctionAssemblyRemodelingCellsConformationBorrelia
2019
Analysis of a flagellar filament cap mutant reveals that HtrA serine protease degrades unfolded flagellin protein in the periplasm of Borrelia burgdorferi
Zhang K, Qin Z, Chang Y, Liu J, Malkowski MG, Shipa S, Li L, Qiu W, Zhang J, Li C. Analysis of a flagellar filament cap mutant reveals that HtrA serine protease degrades unfolded flagellin protein in the periplasm of Borrelia burgdorferi. Molecular Microbiology 2019, 111: 1652-1670. PMID: 30883947, PMCID: PMC6561814, DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14243.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPeriplasmic flagellaFliD mutantFlagellin proteinMajor flagellin proteinLyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferiFlagellar cap proteinFlagellar cap protein FliDFlagellar filament assemblyFlagella-deficient mutantsMutant cellsCAP mutantsFlaB proteinsPeriplasmFilament assemblyCap proteinB. burgdorferiFlagellar filamentsGenetic studiesMutantsBorrelia burgdorferiHtrASerine proteasesFliDFlagellin polymerizationSpirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
2018
Cryo-electron tomography of periplasmic flagella in Borrelia burgdorferi reveals a distinct cytoplasmic ATPase complex
Qin Z, Tu J, Lin T, Norris SJ, Li C, Motaleb MA, Liu J. Cryo-electron tomography of periplasmic flagella in Borrelia burgdorferi reveals a distinct cytoplasmic ATPase complex. PLOS Biology 2018, 16: e3000050. PMID: 30412577, PMCID: PMC6248999, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000050.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCryo-electron tomographyPeriplasmic flagellaATPase complexFlagellar C-ringType III secretion systemCytoplasmic ATPase complexLyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferiMotility of spirochetesExport apparatusSecretion systemStructural insightsBorrelia burgdorferiFlagellaSpirochete Borrelia burgdorferiPathogenic spirochetesC-ringNovel therapeutic strategiesUnique mechanismDistinct morphologiesB. burgdorferiComplexesMultiple spokesAssemblyTherapeutic strategiesBurgdorferiThe Vibrio H-Ring Facilitates the Outer Membrane Penetration of the Polar Sheathed Flagellum
Zhu S, Nishikino T, Kojima S, Homma M, Liu J. The Vibrio H-Ring Facilitates the Outer Membrane Penetration of the Polar Sheathed Flagellum. Journal Of Bacteriology 2018, 200: 10.1128/jb.00387-18. PMID: 30104237, PMCID: PMC6182240, DOI: 10.1128/jb.00387-18.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPolar sheathed flagellumPeriplasmic flagellaExternal flagellaOuter membraneSheathed flagellumBacterial life cycleCryo-electron tomographyWild-type cellsInternal periplasmic flagellaMultiple peritrichous flagellaRemarkable nanomachinesFlagellar genesPeritrichous flagellaPeriplasmic spaceMost bacteriaNovel functionMolecular basisBacterial flagellaMajor organellesBacterial speciesFlagellaMembrane penetrationH-ringGenesLife cycle
2016
A novel flagellar sheath protein, FcpA, determines filament coiling, translational motility and virulence for the Leptospira spirochete
Wunder EA, Figueira CP, Benaroudj N, Hu B, Tong BA, Trajtenberg F, Liu J, Reis MG, Charon NW, Buschiazzo A, Picardeau M, Ko AI. A novel flagellar sheath protein, FcpA, determines filament coiling, translational motility and virulence for the Leptospira spirochete. Molecular Microbiology 2016, 101: 457-470. PMID: 27113476, PMCID: PMC4979076, DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13403.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTraverse tissue barriersHamster modelTarget organsSystemic infectionClinical isolatesLeptospira spirochetesTranslational motilityL. interrogansCell morphologyTissue barriersMotilityLeptospiraPeriplasmic flagellaSpirochetesVirulence phenotypesProtein AHelical cell morphologyInfectionDiseaseLeptospirosisPathogen L. interrogans