Student Posters 51st Lorne Proteins Conference 2026

Uncovering novel flagellar proteins in the S-layer containing Gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus solimangrovi (#309)

Isa Nuryana 1 , Trevor Lithgow 1 , Christopher Stubenrauch 1
  1. Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

While the flagellar system has been extensively studied in model organisms, much less is known about how its structure and function are in Gram-positive bacteria that possess a surface layer (S-layer) protein coat. Bacillus solimangrovi, identified as a motile and Gram-positive bacterium with an S-layer, represents a unique and unexplored flagellar system for studying bacterial motility. Investigating the flagellar system in B. solimangrovi opens new perspectives on how flagellar assembly, rotation, and secretion are achieved without compromising the integrity of the protein coat and cell envelope. In this study, we focus on characterising the role of 13 novel flagellar proteins that we have named S-layer flagellar (sfl) genes: sflA through to sflM. Single-gene deletions were specifically generated to uncover the function of each protein in bacterial motility. Using advanced microscopy, including cryo-EM, we aim to characterise the structure of novel proteins involved in bacterial motility. Our findings provide insights into flagellar-driven motility for exploring the diversity and for expanding our understanding of flagellar machinery, especially in the S-layer-containing Gram-positive bacterium.