Structural insight of a concentration-dependent mechanism by which YdiV inhibits Escherichia coli flagellum biogenesis and motility

YdiV is a negative regulator of cell motility. It interacts with FlhD4C2 complex, a product of flagellar master operon, which works as the transcription activator of all other flagellar operons. Here, we report the crystal structures of YdiV and YdiV2–FlhD2 complex at 1.9 A and 2.9 A resolutions, respectively. Interestingly, YdiV formed multiple types of complexes with FlhD4C2. YdiV1–FlhD4C2 and YdiV2–FlhD4C2 still bound to DNA, while YdiV3–FlhD4C2 and YdiV4–FlhD4C2 did not. DNA bound FlhD4C2 through wrapping around the FlhC subunit rather than the FlhD subunit. Structural analysis showed that only two peripheral FlhD subunits were accessible for YdiV binding, forming the YdiV2–FlhD4C2 complex without affecting the integrity of ring-like structure. YdiV2–FlhD2 structure and the negative staining electron microscopy reconstruction of YdiV4–FlhD4C2 suggested that the third and fourth YdiV molecule bound to the FlhD4C2 complex through squeezing into the ring-like structure of FlhD4C2 between the two internal D subunits. Consequently, the ring-like structure opened up, and the complex lost DNA-binding ability. Thus, YdiV inhibits FlhD4C2 only at relatively high concentrations.