Coupling between Flagellar Motor Rotation and Proton Flux in Bacteria

概要

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The bacterial flagellar motor is driven by a flow of proton according to theelectrochemical potential gradient across the membrane. For understandingefficient and smooth transforrnation of both electric and chemical potentialenergies of proton into a meclaanical work, loose coupling has been assumedbetween the flow of protons and the rotation of the motor. In the mechanismproposed, two kinds of protein molecules arranged on a disc and on a ring sur-rounding the disc repeat fast and reversible reactions regulated by the bindingof protons. Based on this mechanism, the relations of the torque generated in themotor and the flux of protons to the speed of rotation of the motor have beenderived. The results of numerical calculations show reasonable agreement withmost of the experimental results. Particular attention has been paid to the pos-sibility of reverse transformation of free energy. It is expected that by rotatingthe motor in the reverse direction by an external force, the flux of protons isdecreased and finally reversed; that is, protons may be pumped out against thepotential gradient.
社団法人日本物理学会の論文
1983-11-15