Specific inactivator of flagellar reversal in Salmonella typhimurium.

Specific inhibition of flagellar rotation reversal was observed after exposure of chemotactic Salmonella typhimurium to citrate autoclaved at neutral pH. The presence of a rotation reversal inactivator was established in autoclaved citrate-containing media and nutrient broth. Since modulation of flagellar rotation by attractants and repellents is the basis of chemotactic behavior, a specific inhibitor of rotation reversal, which is essential for tumble generation, provides a useful probe into the molecular mechanism of bacterial chemotaxis. The inactivator inhibits clockwise rotation without affecting counterclockwise rotation, speed of rotation, or the capacity of the cells to grow and divide. Inactivation of clockwise rotation is gradual and irreversible, differing from the transient inhibition of clockwise rotation by attractants, which is characterized by an immediate suppression followed by a return to normal rotation patterns. The rotation reversal inactivator is stable to acidification, rotary evaporation, lyophilization, and rehydration.