Mechanics of torque generation in the bacterial flagellar motor

TL;DR

This paper presents a mechanical model explaining how the bacterial flagellar motor generates torque, emphasizing electrostatic positioning and steric power strokes driven by ion-induced conformational changes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanically specific model for torque generation in the bacterial flagellar motor, highlighting electrostatic and steric forces and predicting conformational changes at a molecular level.

Findings

Model fits well with recent experimental data.

Explains torque-speed and speed-ion relationships.

Proposes experiments for motors with variable stator numbers.

Abstract

The bacterial flagellar motor (BFM) is responsible for driving bacterial locomotion and chemotaxis, fundamental processes in pathogenesis and biofilm formation. In the BFM, torque is generated at the interface between transmembrane proteins (stators) and a rotor. It is well-established that the passage of ions down a transmembrane gradient through the stator complex provides the energy needed for torque generation. However, the physics involved in this energy conversion remain poorly understood. Here we propose a mechanically specific model for torque generation in the BFM. In particular, we identify two fundamental forces involved in torque generation: electrostatic and steric. We propose that electrostatic forces serve to position the stator, while steric forces comprise the actual 'power stroke'. Specifically, we predict that ion-induced conformational changes about a proline 'hinge' residue in an $\alpha$-helix of the stator are directly responsible for generating the power stroke. Our model predictions fit well with recent experiments on a single-stator motor. Furthermore, we propose several experiments to elucidate the torque-speed relationship in motors where the number of stators may not be constant. The proposed model provides a mechanical explanation for several fundamental features of the flagellar motor, including: torque-speed and speed-ion motive force relationships, backstepping, variation in step sizes, and the puzzle of swarming experiments.