Figure 3.

An intracellular signaling model. CheY-P is produced intermittently at the chemoreceptor patch, and the increases or decreases in CheY-P concentration are propagated like a wave, reaching motors at different positions on the cell with a delay time (top and middle) and triggering coordinated switching between them (bottom). When the CheY-P concentration change is above and below a threshold (broken lines depicted in middle panels), the motor switches from CCW to CW and CW to CCW, respectively. The signal is terminated by CheZ, which associates with the chemoreceptor patch via the short form of CheA, indicating that the signal is generated and terminated at the receptor patch.