The Flat-Ribbon Configuration of the Periplasmic Flagella of Borrelia burgdorferi and Its Relationship to Motility and Morphology

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Nyles W. Charon (Creator)

Linda L. Gebhardt (Creator)

Stuart F. Goldstein (Creator)

Chyongere Hsieh (Creator)

Ronald J. Limberger (Creator)

Michael Marko (Creator)

M. Abdul Motaleb (Creator)

Nancy Rowe (Creator)

Charles W. Wolgemuth (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Electron cryotomography was used to analyze the structure of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. This methodology offers a new means for studying the native architecture of bacteria by eliminating the chemical fixing dehydration and staining steps of conventional electron microscopy. Using electron cryotomography we noted that membrane blebs formed at the ends of the cells. These blebs may be precursors to vesicles that are released from cells grown in vivo and in vitro. We found that the periplasmic space of B. burgdorferi was quite narrow (16.0 nm) compared to those of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However in the vicinity of the periplasmic flagella this space was considerably wider (42.3 nm). In contrast to previous results the periplasmic flagella did not form a bundle but rather formed a tight-fitting ribbon that wraps around the protoplasmic cell cylinder in a right-handed sense. We show how the ribbon configuration of the assembled periplasmic flagella is more advantageous than a bundle for both swimming and forming the flat-wave morphology. Previous results indicate that B. burgdorferi motility is dependent on the rotation of the periplasmic flagella in generating backward-moving waves along the length of the cell. This swimming requires that the rotation of the flagella exerts force on the cell cylinder. Accordingly a ribbon is more beneficial than a bundle as this configuration allows each periplasmic flagellum to have direct contact with the cell cylinder in order to exert that force and it minimizes interference between the rotating filaments. Originally published Journal of Bacteriology Vol. 191 No. 2 Jan 2009

Additional Information

Publication

Other

Journal of Bacteriology. 191:2(January 2009) p. 600-607.

Language: English

Date: 2011

Keywords

Borrelia burgdorferi, periplasmic flagella, electron cryotomography

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