Rotary Nanomotors in the Rear View Mirror
Rotation is part of our everyday lives. For most of human history, rotation was considered a uniquely human invention, something beyond the anatomical capabilities of organisms. In 1973, Howard Berg made the audacious proposal that the common gut bacterium Escherichia coli swims by rotating helical...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.873573/full |
| _version_ | 1818009593628852224 |
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| author | Michael D. Manson |
| author_facet | Michael D. Manson |
| author_sort | Michael D. Manson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rotation is part of our everyday lives. For most of human history, rotation was considered a uniquely human invention, something beyond the anatomical capabilities of organisms. In 1973, Howard Berg made the audacious proposal that the common gut bacterium Escherichia coli swims by rotating helical flagellar filaments. In 1987, Paul Boyer suggested that the FoF1 ATP synthase of E. coli is also a rotary device. Now we know that rotating nanomachines evolved independently at least three times. They power a wide variety of cellular processes. Here, the study of flagellar rotation in E. coli is briefly summarized. In 2020, the Cryo-EM structure of the MotAB stator element of the bacterial flagellum was described. The structure strongly suggests that the MotAB stator rotates to drive flagellar rotation. Similar motors are coupled to other diverse processes. The following articles in this issue review the current knowledge and speculation about rotating biological nanomachines. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:44:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5821ba985ae147fc823764f5ae15cabc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:44:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5821ba985ae147fc823764f5ae15cabc2022-12-22T02:09:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2022-04-011310.3389/fmicb.2022.873573873573Rotary Nanomotors in the Rear View MirrorMichael D. MansonRotation is part of our everyday lives. For most of human history, rotation was considered a uniquely human invention, something beyond the anatomical capabilities of organisms. In 1973, Howard Berg made the audacious proposal that the common gut bacterium Escherichia coli swims by rotating helical flagellar filaments. In 1987, Paul Boyer suggested that the FoF1 ATP synthase of E. coli is also a rotary device. Now we know that rotating nanomachines evolved independently at least three times. They power a wide variety of cellular processes. Here, the study of flagellar rotation in E. coli is briefly summarized. In 2020, the Cryo-EM structure of the MotAB stator element of the bacterial flagellum was described. The structure strongly suggests that the MotAB stator rotates to drive flagellar rotation. Similar motors are coupled to other diverse processes. The following articles in this issue review the current knowledge and speculation about rotating biological nanomachines.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.873573/fullflagellumrotationmotorion motive forceHoward Berg |
| spellingShingle | Michael D. Manson Rotary Nanomotors in the Rear View Mirror Frontiers in Microbiology flagellum rotation motor ion motive force Howard Berg |
| title | Rotary Nanomotors in the Rear View Mirror |
| title_full | Rotary Nanomotors in the Rear View Mirror |
| title_fullStr | Rotary Nanomotors in the Rear View Mirror |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rotary Nanomotors in the Rear View Mirror |
| title_short | Rotary Nanomotors in the Rear View Mirror |
| title_sort | rotary nanomotors in the rear view mirror |
| topic | flagellum rotation motor ion motive force Howard Berg |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.873573/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaeldmanson rotarynanomotorsintherearviewmirror |