The function of the flagellar accessory proteins is not known but their critical role in flagellation has been demonstrated [41, 43, 62, 63]. The FlaE part of FlaCE is homologous to FlaD, both proteins contain a FlaD/E domain [58]. In Methanococcus buy AZD2014 maripaludis, the deletion of flaC resulted in non-motile and non-flagellated cells [44]. Deletion of flaCE and flaD in H. salinarum resulted in cells with a reduced ARRY-438162 number of flagella, which are hardly (ΔflaD) or not (ΔflaCE) motile [55]. Thus, ΔflaCE cells (and perhaps also ΔflaD cells) most likely have defects both in flagellar assembly and in flagellar function. These findings were interpreted as indicating

that FlaC, FlaCE, and FlaD either function in flagellar secretion and assembly or that they are part of the flagellar motor or related structures. As mentioned in [44], in crenarchaeal genomes the genes flaC-E are generally absent (see also see more [42] and Additional file 6) although several crenarchaeal species are known to possess functional flagella, making a

function assignment for these proteins even more difficult. However, in no crenarchaeal genome have che genes been detected (see Additional file 6), and we are not aware of any study reporting that a crenarchaeote reverses the flagellar rotational direction. Temperature-sensitive motility is described for Sulfolobus acidocaldarius [64], but this organism achieves reorientation by briefly halting its flagella and not by reversals [64, 65]. This fact, and the connection to the response regulator CheY via the proteins identified in this study suggest that FlaC-E might be components of the flagellar motor or associated structures and might be involved in flagellar

motor switching. In bacteria, the link between the Che system and the flagellar motor is built by the interaction of CheY-P with the flagellar motor switch protein FliM. The archaeal flagellar motor is built from different components and driven by ATP instead of proton influx [37], but its overall function is the same. Accordingly, it can be ID-8 speculated that OE2401F, OE2402F, and OE2404R are either part of the archaeal flagellar motor switch, or they are adapters which fit the bacterial-like Che system to the yet unidentified archaeal switch. OE2401F, OE2402F, and OE2404R also interact with CheD, and OE2402F and OE2404R with CheC2. In B. subtilis, CheC is a CheY-P phosphatase localized at the signaling complex [25]. CheD deamidates glutamine residues of the receptors and is necessary for receptor activation of CheA [66]. Together, these proteins build a feedback loop from the output of the system to the receptors [22]. Besides CheC, B. subtilis expresses with FliY a second CheY-P phosphatase, which is localized at the flagellar motor switch [25].