Rusty, jammed, and well-oiled hinges: Mutations affecting the interdomain region of FliG, a rotor element of the Escherichia coli flagellar motor.

The FliG protein is a central component of the bacterial flagellar motor. It is one of the first proteins added during assembly of the flagellar basal body, and there are 26 copies per motor. FliG interacts directly with the Mot protein complex of the stator to generate torque, and it is a crucial player in switching the direction of flagellar rotation from clockwise (CW) to counterclockwise and vice versa.