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A signal transducer for aerotaxis in Escherichia coli

Year: 1997

Type: article

Abstract: The newly discovered aer locus of Escherichia coli encodes a 506-residue protein with an N terminus that resembles the NifL aerosensor and a C terminus that resembles the flagellar signaling domain of methyl-accepting chemoreceptors. Deletion mutants lacking a functional Aer protein failed to congregate around air bubbles or follow oxygen gradients in soft agar plates. Membranes with overexpressed Aer protein also contained high levels of noncovalently associated flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). We propose that Aer is a flavoprotein that mediates positive aerotactic responses in E. coli. Aer may use its FAD prosthetic group as a cellular redox sensor to monitor environmental oxygen levels.

Source: Journal of Bacteriology

DOI: 10.1128/jb.179.12.4075-4079.1997

Authors: S I Bibikov, R Biran, K E Rudd, J S Parkinson

Institution: University of Utah

Language: English

Topic: Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green