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  • Title: A molecular clutch disables flagella in the Bacillus subtilis biofilm.
    Author: Blair KM, Turner L, Winkelman JT, Berg HC, Kearns DB.
    Journal: Science; 2008 Jun 20; 320(5883):1636-8. PubMed ID: 18566286.
    Abstract:
    Biofilms are multicellular aggregates of sessile bacteria encased by an extracellular matrix and are important medically as a source of drug-resistant microbes. In Bacillus subtilis, we found that an operon required for biofilm matrix biosynthesis also encoded an inhibitor of motility, EpsE. EpsE arrested flagellar rotation in a manner similar to that of a clutch, by disengaging motor force-generating elements in cells embedded in the biofilm matrix. The clutch is a simple, rapid, and potentially reversible form of motility control.
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