Understanding c-di-GMP-mediated regulation of flagellar motility, one step at a time

c-di-GMP-mediated control of bacterial motility has been studied in some depth, but many questions remain. N. Bhattarai, W. Guo, J. D. Partridge, R. M. Harshey (J Bacteriol 207:e00353-25, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00353-25) review the current state of the field, present a new 2-step model for the control of flagellar motility, and test the first step of this model. Their model incorporates a plethora of data from different labs, including new structural insights of flagellar motor structure, to test and present a compelling model of by YcgR::c-di-GMP-mediated motility control.