Identification of the key sequence in the FliK C-terminal domain for substrate specificity switching in the flagellar protein secretion

Abstract

The flagellar hook is a short tubular structure located between the external filament and the membrane-bound basal body. The average hook length is 55 nm and is determined by the soluble protein FliK and the integral membrane protein FlhB. Hook elongation is terminated by FliK-mediated cessation of hook protein secretion, followed by the secretion of filamentous proteins. This process is referred to as the substrate specificity switch. Switching of the secretion modes results from a direct interaction between the FliK C-terminal domain (FliKC) and the secretion gate in FlhB. FliKC consists of two α-helices and four β-strands. Loop 2 connects the first two β-sheets and contains a conserved sequence of 9 residues. Genetic and physiological analyses of various fliK partial deletion mutants pointed to loop 2 as essential for induction of a conformational change in the FlhB gate. We constructed single-amino-acid substitutions in the conserved region of loop 2 of FliK and discovered that the loop sequence LRL is essential for the timely switching of secretion modes.