Biology and biotechnology of microbial pilus nanowires

Abstract

Type IV pili (T4P) are bacterial appendages used for cell adhesion and surface motility. In metal-reducing bacteria in the genus Geobacter, they have the unique property of being conductive and essential to wire cells to extracellular electron acceptors and other cells within biofilms. These electroactive bacteria use a conserved pathway for biological assembly and disassembly of a short and aromatic dense peptide subunit (pilin). The polymerization of the pilins clusters aromatic residues optimally for charge transport and exposes ligands for metal immobilization and reduction. The simple design yet unique functionalities of conductive T4P afford opportunities for the scaled-up production of recombinant pilins and their in vitro assembly into electronic biomaterials of biotechnological interest. This review summarizes current knowledge of conductive T4P biogenesis and functions critical to actualize applications in bioelectronics, bioremediation, and nanotechnology.

Assessing Thermal Response of Redox Conduction for Anti-Arrhenius Kinetics in a Microbial Cytochrome Nanowire

“…One of the best studied electroactive microorganisms, Geobacter sulfurreducens, discharges ∼10 5 electrons/s/cell . This fA current has been known for nearly 20 years to be carried by conductive filaments, but questions about the identity, composition, and conductivity mechanism of the filaments have − and continue − to be debated.…”

The action of phytochemicals in biofilm control

“…However, this system is not related to the regulation of the pilA gene. 102 Moreover, twitching motility is related to type IV pili assembly and retraction. For that, the PilT, a nucleotide-binding protein, promotes filament disassembly.…”

Gentle Patterning Approaches toward Compatibility with Bio‐Organic Materials and Their Environmental Aspects

“…We could mention tubulin microtubules, [46] multiheme cytochromes of the respiratory chains, [47] chlorosome photonic antenna complexes, [48] photosynthetic complexes, [49] and DNA. [50] Relatively new objects are pili, filaments, and other extracellular outgrowths [51][52][53] of electrogenic bacteria, common extracellular membranes of linear electronconductive bacterial colonies, [54] artificial and natural supramolecular peptide complexes. [55][56][57][58] Researchers have actively studied the electron transport properties of biological objects for already 20 years.…”