Length-dependent flagellar growth of Vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imaging
Bacterial flagella are extracellular filaments that drive swimming in bacteria. During motor assembly, flagellins are transported unfolded through the central channel in the flagellum to the growing tip. Here, we applied in vivo fluorescent imaging to monitor in real time the Vibrio alginolyticus polar fl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2017-01-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/22140 |
| _version_ | 1811181059743678464 |
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| author | Meiting Chen Ziyi Zhao Jin Yang Kai Peng Matthew AB Baker Fan Bai Chien-Jung Lo |
| author_facet | Meiting Chen Ziyi Zhao Jin Yang Kai Peng Matthew AB Baker Fan Bai Chien-Jung Lo |
| author_sort | Meiting Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bacterial flagella are extracellular filaments that drive swimming in bacteria. During motor assembly, flagellins are transported unfolded through the central channel in the flagellum to the growing tip. Here, we applied in vivo fluorescent imaging to monitor in real time the Vibrio alginolyticus polar flagella growth. The flagellar growth rate is found to be highly length-dependent. Initially, the flagellum grows at a constant rate (50 nm/min) when shorter than 1500 nm. The growth rate decays sharply when the flagellum grows longer, which decreases to ~9 nm/min at 7500 nm. We modeled flagellin transport inside the channel as a one-dimensional diffusive process with an injection force at its base. When the flagellum is short, its growth rate is determined by the loading speed at the base. Only when the flagellum grows longer does diffusion of flagellin become the rate-limiting step, dramatically reducing the growth rate. Our results shed new light on the dynamic building process of this complex extracellular structure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:13:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e23e8b2e4cc140daa3d30310dd06a19d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:13:18Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-e23e8b2e4cc140daa3d30310dd06a19d2022-12-22T04:32:26ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2017-01-01610.7554/eLife.22140Length-dependent flagellar growth of Vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imagingMeiting Chen0Ziyi Zhao1Jin Yang2Kai Peng3Matthew AB Baker4Fan Bai5Chien-Jung Lo6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8078-4970Department of Physics and Graduate Institute of Biophysics, National Central University, Jhongli, TaiwanBiodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaBiodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaBiodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaEMBL Australia Node for Single Molecule Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaBiodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Physics and Graduate Institute of Biophysics, National Central University, Jhongli, TaiwanBacterial flagella are extracellular filaments that drive swimming in bacteria. During motor assembly, flagellins are transported unfolded through the central channel in the flagellum to the growing tip. Here, we applied in vivo fluorescent imaging to monitor in real time the Vibrio alginolyticus polar flagella growth. The flagellar growth rate is found to be highly length-dependent. Initially, the flagellum grows at a constant rate (50 nm/min) when shorter than 1500 nm. The growth rate decays sharply when the flagellum grows longer, which decreases to ~9 nm/min at 7500 nm. We modeled flagellin transport inside the channel as a one-dimensional diffusive process with an injection force at its base. When the flagellum is short, its growth rate is determined by the loading speed at the base. Only when the flagellum grows longer does diffusion of flagellin become the rate-limiting step, dramatically reducing the growth rate. Our results shed new light on the dynamic building process of this complex extracellular structure.https://elifesciences.org/articles/22140bacterial flagellar growthVibrio alginolyticusfluorescent imaginginjection-diffusionself-assemblyprotein translocation |
| spellingShingle | Meiting Chen Ziyi Zhao Jin Yang Kai Peng Matthew AB Baker Fan Bai Chien-Jung Lo Length-dependent flagellar growth of Vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imaging eLife bacterial flagellar growth Vibrio alginolyticus fluorescent imaging injection-diffusion self-assembly protein translocation |
| title | Length-dependent flagellar growth of Vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imaging |
| title_full | Length-dependent flagellar growth of Vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imaging |
| title_fullStr | Length-dependent flagellar growth of Vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imaging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Length-dependent flagellar growth of Vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imaging |
| title_short | Length-dependent flagellar growth of Vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imaging |
| title_sort | length dependent flagellar growth of vibrio alginolyticus revealed by real time fluorescent imaging |
| topic | bacterial flagellar growth Vibrio alginolyticus fluorescent imaging injection-diffusion self-assembly protein translocation |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/22140 |
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