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Biology and biotechnology of microbial pilus nanowires

  • Environmental Microbiology - Review
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

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.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Grant EAR1629439 from the National Science Foundation and Hatch project 1011745 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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  1. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Rd, Rm 6190, Biomedical and Physical Science Building, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA

    Morgen M. Clark & Gemma Reguera

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Clark, M.M., Reguera, G. Biology and biotechnology of microbial pilus nanowires. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 47, 897–907 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-020-02312-5

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