Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Nov 6.
Published in final edited form as: Mol Microbiol. 2014 May 2;92(5):985–1004. doi: 10.1111/mmi.12609

Fig. 6. Proposed model of Tol–Pal in the subcellular localization of E. coli chemoreceptor clusters.

Fig. 6

A. As newly synthesized chemoreceptors are inserted into the cytoplasmic membrane, the individual receptors migrate freely within the IM and join existing clusters or nucleate new ones.

B. Receptor distribution is distance-dependent and clusters accumulate in regions that are furthest from existing clusters (Thiem et al., 2007; Thiem and Sourjik, 2008; Wang et al., 2008; Greenfield et al., 2009).

C and D. The Tol–Pal complex localizes to the division plane in early predivisional cells to facilitate constriction of the outer membrane during cell division (Gerding et al., 2007). This trans-envelope complex may restrict the mobility of polar and mid-cell chemoreceptor clusters by creating a physical barrier that favours their accumulation at these cellular locations. Dashed arrows denote receptor diffusion within the membrane. Green ellipses represent the Tol–Pal complex and brown ellipses represent chemoreceptors. See the text for an additional explanation and discussion.