fliI

UniProt ID: P52612
Organism: Escherichia coli K-12
Review Status: COMPLETE
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Gene Description

FliI is the ATP-hydrolyzing subunit of the cytoplasmic flagellar type III export apparatus. FliH and FliJ organize its assembly and coupling to the membrane export gate. The membrane gate normally uses proton motive force; the cytoplasmic ATPase machinery improves export efficiency, and bypass conditions can support export without FliHI. ATP-driven export without bulk proton motive force has also been reconstituted in Salmonella membrane vesicles.

Existing Annotations Review

GO Term Evidence Action Reason
GO:0005524 ATP binding
IEA
GO_REF:0000002
ACCEPT
Summary: FliI is a Walker-type P-loop ATPase. In the Salmonella ortholog, purified FliI binds ATP, and mutating residues equivalent to catalytic residues of the F1 beta subunit abolishes flagellation.
Reason: Correct. The more informative MF terms are ATP hydrolysis activity and protein-exporting ATPase activity. Evidence is from the Salmonella ortholog.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8491729
Site-directed mutagenesis of residues in FliI that correspond to catalytically important residues in the F1 beta subunit resulted in loss of flagellation, supporting the hypothesis that FliI is an ATPase.
GO:0005737 cytoplasm
IEA
GO_REF:0000120
ACCEPT
Summary: FliI is a soluble protein with no transmembrane segment. In Salmonella it exists as a cytoplasmic FliH2-FliI complex and as a peripheral inner membrane pool bound to the basal body.
Reason: Correct localization for the soluble pool. The apparatus-bound pool is captured by GO:0120102 bacterial-type flagellum secretion apparatus.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:12054792
Both FliI and FliH localised to the cytoplasmic membrane in the presence and in the absence of proteins making up the flagellar export machinery and basal body.
PMID:21934659
FliI ATPase forms a complex with FliH and FliJ and escorts export substrates from the cytoplasm to the export gate complex
GO:0006935 chemotaxis
NAS
PMID:31337100
Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria.
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED
Summary: The cited source supports FliI-mediated flagellar export and construction, but does not establish a role in ongoing chemically guided movement.
Reason: PMID31337100 assigns FliI to ATP-dependent export-gate activation and flagellum construction, while its account of chemotaxis assigns gradient-dependent control to the receptor-CheY-switch pathway. It does not establish that FliI executes ongoing propulsion, steering or gradient-dependent motor regulation. Construction of the apparatus alone does not establish participation in guided movement, so this process assignment exceeds the supporting evidence. This is not proof that every possible secondary chemotactic role is absent, and it does not exclude participation by stator proteins that directly perform locomotor work. The judgment rests on the evidence and role, not on an assertion that UNDECIDED is restricted to inaccessible publications.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:31337100
The FliI6 ring hydrolyzes ATP to activate the transmembrane export gate complex, thereby driving H+-coupled flagellar protein export by the export gate
GO:0009288 bacterial-type flagellum
NAS
PMID:31337100
Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria.
MODIFY
Summary: FliI is part of the cytoplasmic ATPase ring complex of the flagellar type III export apparatus at the base of the flagellum. It is not part of the rod, hook or filament.
Reason: Correct but general. GO:0120102 bacterial-type flagellum secretion apparatus is the precise location, and it is also annotated from the same review.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:31337100
FliH, FliI and FliJ form the cytoplasmic ATPase ring complex with a 12 FliH to 6 FliI to 1 FliJ stoichiometry
GO:0015986 proton motive force-driven ATP synthesis
IEA
GO_REF:0000108
REMOVE
Summary: This row is a logical inference from the IBA GO:0046933 ATP synthase row. FliI consumes ATP to support flagellar protein export. It is not part of an Fo-coupled ATP synthase. In the flagellar export system the proton motive force drives protein translocation through the membrane export gate, not ATP synthesis.
Reason: The source annotation (GO:0046933) is wrong, so this inferred process is also wrong. No FliI has been shown to synthesize ATP. The Salmonella ortholog is an ATP hydrolase that is insensitive to F-type ATPase inhibitors.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8943245
The activity was not affected by inhibitors of the F-, V- or P-type ATPases
PMID:18216859
the flagellar secretion apparatus functions as a proton-driven protein exporter
file:ECOLI/fliI/fliI-deep-research-falcon.md
Its primary biological function is not to synthesize ATP and not to form the transmembrane channel.
GO:0016887 ATP hydrolysis activity
IEA
GO_REF:0000002
ACCEPT
Summary: ATP hydrolysis is FliI's catalytic reaction. Purified Salmonella FliI is a Mg2+-dependent ATPase whose activity is cooperative and coupled to hexamer formation.
Reason: ATP hydrolysis is independently true and mechanistically central. Current QuickGO ancestry does not place GO:0008564 under GO:0016887 (the export ATPase is classified as a translocase), so these are distinct supported claims, not a redundant general/specific pair. Purified-enzyme evidence is from Salmonella.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8943245
It had an ATPase activity of 0.16 s-1 at 25 degrees C and pH 7, and a Km for ATP of 0.3 mM; Mg2+ was required.
PMID:12787361
Enzymatic activity of the FliI ATPase showed positive co-operativity, establishing that oligomerization and enzyme activity are coupled
GO:0030254 protein secretion by the type III secretion system
IEA
GO_REF:0000002
ACCEPT
Summary: The flagellar export apparatus is a type III secretion system that exports axial flagellar subunits. FliI provides ATP-dependent substrate delivery and gate activation.
Reason: Correct. This is FliI's direct process.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:18216858
the FliH-FliI complex facilitates only the initial entry of export substrates into the gate
PMID:29946050
ATP hydrolysis by FliI can drive the protein export without bulk PMF
GO:0030254 protein secretion by the type III secretion system
NAS
PMID:31337100
Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria.
ACCEPT
Summary: Same term as the InterPro-based row, here stated by the curator from a review of the flagellar export apparatus.
Reason: Correct and consistent with the ortholog experimental literature.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:31337100
The FliI6 ring hydrolyzes ATP to activate the transmembrane export gate complex, thereby driving H+-coupled flagellar protein export by the export gate
GO:0030257 type III protein secretion system complex
IEA
GO_REF:0000002
ACCEPT
Summary: FliI is the ATPase subunit of the flagellar type III export complex. The term is written mainly for the injectisome but covers type III secretion complexes in general.
Reason: The flagellar apparatus is a type III export system. GO:0120102 is more anatomically specific but is not currently an is_a/part_of descendant of GO:0030257; retain both supported locations rather than making a false hierarchy refinement.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:31337100
FliH, FliI and FliJ form the cytoplasmic ATPase ring complex with a 12 FliH to 6 FliI to 1 FliJ stoichiometry
GO:0030257 type III protein secretion system complex
NAS
PMID:31337100
Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria.
ACCEPT
Summary: Same term as the InterPro-based row, stated from a review of the flagellar type III export apparatus.
Reason: The flagellar apparatus is a type III export system. GO:0120102 is more anatomically specific but is not currently an is_a/part_of descendant of GO:0030257; retain both supported locations rather than making a false hierarchy refinement.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:31337100
The type III protein export apparatus consists of an export gate complex made of five transmembrane proteins, FlhA, FlhB, FliP, FliQ and FliR, and a cytoplasmic ATPase ring complex consisting of FliH, FliI and FliJ
GO:0042802 identical protein binding
IPI
PMID:19834901
Benchmarking yeast two-hybrid systems using the interactions...
ACCEPT
Summary: E. coli FliI-FliI self-interaction was detected in a yeast two-hybrid screen of E. coli motility proteins. This fits the ATP-dependent homohexameric ring formed by the ortholog.
Reason: Self-association supports formation of the functional ATPase ring and is central rather than a peripheral activity. It is not the bare GO:0005515 term. The original E. coli interaction assertion is retained, supported independently by ortholog hexamerization and its coupling to catalysis; inaccessible individual interaction tables are not treated as evidence of misattribution.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:19834901
90 motility-related proteins from Escherichia coli were tested in all pairwise combinations
PMID:12787361
the FliI ring structure has sixfold symmetry and an external diameter of approximately 10 nm
GO:0042802 identical protein binding
IPI
PMID:24561554
The binary protein-protein interaction landscape of Escheric...
ACCEPT
Summary: FliI-FliI self-interaction from the E. coli genome-wide binary (yeast two-hybrid) interactome. It is consistent with FliI hexamer formation.
Reason: Self-association supports formation of the functional ATPase ring and is central rather than a peripheral activity. It is not the bare GO:0005515 term. The original E. coli interaction assertion is retained, supported independently by ortholog hexamerization and its coupling to catalysis; inaccessible individual interaction tables are not treated as evidence of misattribution.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:12787361
Enzymatic activity of the FliI ATPase showed positive co-operativity, establishing that oligomerization and enzyme activity are coupled
GO:0042802 identical protein binding
IPI
PMID:8604139
Interacting components of the flagellar motor of Escherichia...
ACCEPT
Summary: The cached E. coli yeast two-hybrid abstract does not establish the specific FliI self-interaction, and the original interaction table remains unverified here. Independent Salmonella homolog experiments support functional FliI homo-oligomerization.
Reason: Self-association supports formation of the functional ATPase ring and is central rather than a peripheral activity. It is not the bare GO:0005515 term. The original E. coli interaction assertion is retained, supported independently by ortholog hexamerization and its coupling to catalysis; inaccessible individual interaction tables are not treated as evidence of misattribution.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:21278755
FliJ promotes the formation of FliI hexamer rings by binding to the center of the ring
GO:0044780 bacterial-type flagellum assembly
IEA
GO_REF:0000002
ACCEPT
Summary: FliI exports the axial structural subunits needed to build the flagellum. In the Salmonella ortholog, catalytic-residue mutants lose flagellation.
Reason: Correct and core. FliI directly takes part in flagellar assembly by exporting its axial components.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8491729
Site-directed mutagenesis of residues in FliI that correspond to catalytically important residues in the F1 beta subunit resulted in loss of flagellation
GO:0045259 proton-transporting ATP synthase complex
IBA
GO_REF:0000033
REMOVE
Summary: PAINT placed the IBD for this term at PTN008558586. Every seed is an F1-ATP synthase beta subunit (E. coli AtpD, human ATP5F1B, yeast ATP2, S. pombe atp2, and plant, rat and bovine F1 subunits). PTN008558586 is a duplication node. One child (PTN008558588) is the F1-beta clade. The other child (PTN000390097) is the bacterial FliI/SctN type III ATPase clade (PTHR15184 subfamilies SF9, SF62 and SF81), which includes P52612 (SF81). The IBD therefore sits one node too deep and covers a paralog clade in which no member has shown ATP synthase activity or membership of an Fo-F1 complex. FliI forms a separate FliH12-FliI6-FliJ1 ATPase ring on the flagellar export apparatus.
Reason: Paralog over-propagation from a misplaced IBD. P52612 is outside the F1-beta clade that carries the function. The Salmonella ortholog is structurally related to F1 alpha/beta but is part of the flagellar export apparatus, not an ATP synthase. The IBD should move to PTN008558588, or a NOT/IRD should be placed at PTN000390097.
Propagation Review
Root cause: PROPAGATION BAD
Failure modes: WRONG ORTHOLOG OR PARALOG COMPARTMENT OR COMPLEX MISMATCH
Sources checked:
PANTHER:PTN008558586 Β· PTN008558586 SUPPORTS SOURCE BUT NOT TARGET
Duplication node spanning the F1-beta clade (PTN008558588) and the FliI/SctN type III ATPase clade (PTN000390097); all seeds are F1-beta subunits.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:17202259
FliI consists of three domains, and the whole structure shows extensive similarities to the alpha and beta subunits of F0F1-ATPsynthase
PMID:31337100
FliH, FliI and FliJ form the cytoplasmic ATPase ring complex with a 12 FliH to 6 FliI to 1 FliJ stoichiometry
GO:0046933 proton-transporting ATP synthase activity, rotational mechanism
IBA
GO_REF:0000033
REMOVE
Summary: The IBD at PTN008558586 is seeded only by F1-beta subunits (E. coli AtpD, human ATP5F1B, yeast ATP2, S. pombe atp2). It is placed at a duplication node that also contains the FliI/SctN clade (PTN000390097; SF9, SF62, SF81), where P52612 sits. FliJ resembles the gamma stalk, and a rotary mechanism has been proposed for the FliI6-FliJ ring. But that ring hydrolyzes ATP to drive protein export and has no coupled proton channel. The proton flux of flagellar export runs through the export gate, a proton-protein antiporter in which FlhA has ion-channel activity. It does not run through FliI.
Reason: Contradicted by the biology. FliI does not synthesize ATP or transport protons, and the ortholog ATPase is insensitive to F-type ATPase inhibitors. The target lies in a paralog clade outside the F1-beta clade whose seeds carry the function, so this is a node-placement error.
Propagation Review
Root cause: PROPAGATION BAD
Failure modes: WRONG ORTHOLOG OR PARALOG FUNCTIONAL DIVERGENCE
Sources checked:
PANTHER:PTN008558586 Β· PTN008558586 SUPPORTS SOURCE BUT NOT TARGET
Duplication node spanning the F1-beta clade (PTN008558588) and the FliI/SctN type III ATPase clade (PTN000390097); all seeds are F1-beta subunits.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8943245
The activity was not affected by inhibitors of the F-, V- or P-type ATPases
PMID:21934659
the export gate complex by itself is a proton-protein antiporter
PMID:29946050
FlhA has an ion channel activity, and the FlhA-FliJ interaction enables effective utilization of PMF for protein export
PMID:21278755
FliJ promotes the formation of FliI hexamer rings by binding to the center of the ring
GO:0071973 bacterial-type flagellum-dependent cell motility
IEA
GO_REF:0000002
KEEP AS NON CORE
Summary: fliI supports the function of the motility organelle through export of its structural components.
Reason: Retain the existing broad functional participation claim, while identifying export/assembly as the direct core work. Same-role E. coli and Salmonella FliH/FliJ proteins consistently carry this term, including E. coli NAS annotations from PMID31337100. Current GO:0071973 describes flagellum-driven locomotion; it is not restricted to ATPase torque-generating subunits. The independent primary mechanism establishes export and bypass-mutant studies connect this machinery to motility, but do not establish a direct torque-generating activity. This acceptance does not create a new motility assertion or equate phenotype with the catalytic mechanism.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8491729
FliI is a Salmonella typhimurium protein that is needed for flagellar assembly
GO:0071973 bacterial-type flagellum-dependent cell motility
NAS
PMID:31337100
Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria.
KEEP AS NON CORE
Summary: fliI supports the function of the motility organelle through export of its structural components.
Reason: Retain the existing broad functional participation claim, while identifying export/assembly as the direct core work. Same-role E. coli and Salmonella FliH/FliJ proteins consistently carry this term, including E. coli NAS annotations from PMID31337100. Current GO:0071973 describes flagellum-driven locomotion; it is not restricted to ATPase torque-generating subunits. The independent primary mechanism establishes export and bypass-mutant studies connect this machinery to motility, but do not establish a direct torque-generating activity. This acceptance does not create a new motility assertion or equate phenotype with the catalytic mechanism.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:31337100
A type III protein export apparatus transports axial component proteins from the cytoplasm to the distal end of the growing flagellar structure to construct the axial structure beyond the cellular membranes
GO:0120102 bacterial-type flagellum secretion apparatus
NAS
PMID:31337100
Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria.
ACCEPT
Summary: FliI forms the cytoplasmic ATPase ring of the flagellar type III export apparatus, together with FliH and FliJ.
Reason: The precise location of the apparatus-bound FliI pool.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:31337100
The type III protein export apparatus consists of an export gate complex made of five transmembrane proteins, FlhA, FlhB, FliP, FliQ and FliR, and a cytoplasmic ATPase ring complex consisting of FliH, FliI and FliJ
GO:0008564 protein-exporting ATPase activity
ISS
PMID:8943245
Enzymatic characterization of FliI. An ATPase involved in fl...
NEW
Summary: FliI hydrolyzes ATP to deliver flagellar export substrates to the type III export gate and to activate the gate. The GO definition covers ATP-hydrolyzing enzymes of type III secretion pathways. The evidence is from the Salmonella ortholog: purified-enzyme kinetics and in vitro reconstitution of ATP-driven export.
Reason: This is the most specific and informative MF for FliI, and GOA lacks it for P52612. It is inferred from the closely related Salmonella ortholog and matches the sibling CAUVC fliI review.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:8943245
It had an ATPase activity of 0.16 s-1 at 25 degrees C and pH 7, and a Km for ATP of 0.3 mM; Mg2+ was required.
PMID:29946050
ATP hydrolysis by FliI can drive the protein export without bulk PMF

Core Functions

Self-associates into the functional homohexameric ATPase ring and hydrolyzes ATP in the flagellar export complex to facilitate substrate delivery and gate activation. Salmonella homolog assays couple oligomerization to cooperative ATPase activity and establish ATP-supported export, including reconstitution without bulk PMF. These are conserved-role inferences for E. coli, not measurements of its native export energy balance.

Supporting Evidence:
  • PMID:21934659
    FliI ATPase forms a complex with FliH and FliJ and escorts export substrates from the cytoplasm to the export gate complex
  • PMID:31337100
    The FliI6 ring hydrolyzes ATP to activate the transmembrane export gate complex, thereby driving H+-coupled flagellar protein export by the export gate
  • PMID:12787361
    Enzymatic activity of the FliI ATPase showed positive co-operativity, establishing that oligomerization and enzyme activity are coupled

References

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Suggested Questions for Experts

Q: The GO:0046933 and GO:0045259 IBDs are placed at PTN008558586, a duplication node whose children are the F1-beta clade (PTN008558588) and the bacterial FliI/SctN type III ATPase clade (PTN000390097; PTHR15184:SF9, SF62, SF81). All seeds are F1-beta proteins. Should the IBDs move down to PTN008558588, or should a NOT be placed at PTN000390097, so that ATP synthase terms stop propagating to FliI and SctN?

Q: Should UniProt rename P52612 from "Flagellum-specific ATP synthase" (EC 7.1.2.2, H+-transporting) to "Flagellum-specific ATPase / flagellar export ATPase FliI" with EC 7.4.2.8? Should it also drop the "proton translocase involved in local circuits" clause from the FUNCTION comment?

Q: Do E. coli K-12 FliI kinetics, FliH regulation and FliJ-dependent hexamerization match the Salmonella ortholog? No direct enzymology exists for P52612.

Suggested Experiments

Experiment: Purify P52612 and measure Mg2+-dependent ATPase kinetics, sensitivity to F-type ATPase inhibitors (azide, DCCD, efrapeptin), stimulation by phospholipids, and hexamer formation with E. coli FliJ and FliH.

Type: biochemistry

Experiment: Complement a clean E. coli K-12 fliI deletion with Walker-A and catalytic-glutamate mutants, and measure hook and flagellin export and swimming motility.

Type: genetic complementation

Deep Research

Falcon

(fliI-deep-research-falcon.md)

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πŸ“š Additional Documentation

Notes

(fliI-notes.md)

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πŸ“„ View Raw YAML

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