Revving up: The dynamics of bacterial flagellar stators

Bacteria are simple organisms, yet they exhibit a wide range of behaviors, including adaptation to environmental changes. While much is known about how cells adapt to chemical changes, their adaptation to mechanical environments remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we study the flagellar motor, a molecular machine that powers bacterial swimming. This motor autonomously adapts to changes in mechanical load by adding or removing torque-generating complexes called stators. Through single-cell experiments and theoretical modeling, we have uncovered the dynamics of this mechano-adaptation. Our ongoing work aims to decipher the structural basis of stator mechanosensitivity.