Blog Post Image: Revealing the Secrets of Motility in Archaea

The story till now: individual FlaI proteins have two units, bases and points, connected by a flexible linker. When bound to ATP they assemble a six-member crown, which attaches to the base of the FlaJ protein in the cell membrane. When an individual FlaI protein hydrolyzes ATP and releases a phosphate, its point moves up and creates a space beneath the archaellum filament, where FlaB subunits can join the filament’s base, causing it to grow. The same changes in conformation drive rotation, but the exact mechanism is still be learned. Image credit: Berkeley Lab

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