Type IV pili of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans can transfer electrons from extracellular electron donors. (26th February 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Yongquan; Li, Hongyu
• Is Part Of: Journal of basic microbiology. Volume 54:issue 3(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 226
• Page End: 231
• Publication Date: 2013-02-26
• Subjects: Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579
• DOI: 10.1002/jobm.201200300
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0233-111X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="jobm201200300-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <p>Studies on <italic>Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans</italic> accepting electrons from Fe(II) have previously focused on cytochrome <italic>c</italic>. However, we have discovered that, besides cytochrome <italic>c</italic>, type IV pili (Tfp) can transfer electrons. Here, we report conduction by Tfp of <italic>A. ferrooxidans</italic> analyzed with a conducting‐probe atomic force microscope (AFM). The results indicate that the Tfp of <italic>A. ferrooxidans</italic> are highly conductive. The genome sequence of <italic>A. ferrooxidans</italic> ATCC 23270 contains two genes, <italic>pilV</italic> and <italic>pilW</italic>, which code for pilin domain proteins with the conserved amino acids characteristic of Tfp. Multiple alignment analysis of the PilV and PilW (pilin) proteins indicated that <italic>pilV</italic> is the adhesin gene while <italic>pilW</italic> codes for the major protein element of Tfp. The likely function of Tfp is to complete the circuit between the cell surface and Fe(II) oxides. These results indicate that Tfp of <italic>A. ferrooxidans</italic> might serve as biological nanowires transferring electrons from the surface of Fe(II) oxides to the cell surface.</p> </sec> </abstract>