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Magnetotactic bacteria

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Expanding Magnetic Organelle Biogenesis In The Domain Bacteria, Wei Lin, Wensi Zhang, Greig A. Paterson, Qiyun Zhu, Xiang Zhao, Rob Knight, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Andrew P. Roberts, Yongxin Pan Oct 2020

Expanding Magnetic Organelle Biogenesis In The Domain Bacteria, Wei Lin, Wensi Zhang, Greig A. Paterson, Qiyun Zhu, Xiang Zhao, Rob Knight, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Andrew P. Roberts, Yongxin Pan

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Background: The discovery of membrane-enclosed, metabolically functional organelles in Bacteria has transformed our understanding of the subcellular complexity of prokaryotic cells. Biomineralization of magnetic nanoparticles within magnetosomes by magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) is a fascinating example of prokaryotic organelles. Magnetosomes, as nano-sized magnetic sensors in MTB, facilitate cell navigation along the local geomagnetic field, a behaviour referred to as magnetotaxis or microbial magnetoreception. Recent discovery of novel MTB outside the traditionally recognized taxonomic lineages suggests that MTB diversity across the domain Bacteria are considerably underestimated, which limits understanding of the taxonomic distribution and evolutionary origin of magnetosome organelle biogenesis. Results: Here, …


Magnetosome Gene Duplication As An Important Driver In The Evolution Of Magnetotaxis In The Alphaproteobacteria, Haijian Du, Wenyan Zhang, Wensi Zhang, Weijia Zhang, Hongmiao Pan, Yongxin Pan, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Long-Fei Wu, Tian Xiao, Wei Lin Oct 2019

Magnetosome Gene Duplication As An Important Driver In The Evolution Of Magnetotaxis In The Alphaproteobacteria, Haijian Du, Wenyan Zhang, Wensi Zhang, Weijia Zhang, Hongmiao Pan, Yongxin Pan, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Long-Fei Wu, Tian Xiao, Wei Lin

Life Sciences Faculty Research

The evolution of microbial magnetoreception (or magnetotaxis) is of great interest in the fields of microbiology, evolutionary biology, biophysics, geomicrobiology, and geochemistry. Current genomic data from magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), the only prokaryotes known to be capable of sensing the Earth’s geomagnetic field, suggests an ancient origin of magnetotaxis in the domain Bacteria. Vertical inheritance, followed by multiple independent magnetosome gene cluster loss, is considered to be one of the major forces that drove the evolution of magnetotaxis at or above the class or phylum level, although the evolutionary trajectories at lower taxonomic ranks (e.g., within the class level) remain largely …


Applications Of Magnetotactic Bacteria, Magnetosomes And Magnetosome Crystals In Biotechnology And Nanotechnology: Mini-Review, Gabriele Vargas, Jefferson Cypriano, Tarcisio Correa, Pedro Leão, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Fernanda Abreu Sep 2018

Applications Of Magnetotactic Bacteria, Magnetosomes And Magnetosome Crystals In Biotechnology And Nanotechnology: Mini-Review, Gabriele Vargas, Jefferson Cypriano, Tarcisio Correa, Pedro Leão, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Fernanda Abreu

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) biomineralize magnetosomes, which are defined as intracellular nanocrystals of the magnetic minerals magnetite (Fe3O4) or greigite (Fe3S4) enveloped by a phospholipid bilayer membrane. The synthesis of magnetosomes is controlled by a specific set of genes that encode proteins, some of which are exclusively found in the magnetosome membrane in the cell. Over the past several decades, interest in nanoscale technology (nanotechnology) and biotechnology has increased significantly due to the development and establishment of new commercial, medical and scientific processes and applications that utilize nanomaterials, some of which are biologically derived. One excellent example of a biological nanomaterial …


Magnetotactic Bacteria As Potential Sources Of Bioproducts, Ana Carolina V. Araujo, Fernanda Abreu, Karen Tavares Silva, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Ulysses Lins Jan 2015

Magnetotactic Bacteria As Potential Sources Of Bioproducts, Ana Carolina V. Araujo, Fernanda Abreu, Karen Tavares Silva, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Ulysses Lins

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) produce intracellular organelles called magnetosomes which are magnetic nanoparticles composed of magnetite (Fe3O4) or greigite (Fe3S4) enveloped by a lipid bilayer. The synthesis of a magnetosome is through a genetically controlled process in which the bacterium has control over the composition, direction of crystal growth, and the size and shape of the mineral crystal. As a result of this control, magnetosomes have narrow and uniform size ranges, relatively specific magnetic and crystalline properties, and an enveloping biological membrane. These features are not observed in magnetic particles produced abiotically and …


Magnetotactic Bacteria From Extreme Environments, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Christopher T. Lefèvre Mar 2013

Magnetotactic Bacteria From Extreme Environments, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Christopher T. Lefèvre

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) represent a diverse collection of motile prokaryotes that biomineralize intracellular, membrane-bounded, tens-of-nanometer-sized crystals of a magnetic mineral called magnetosomes. Magnetosome minerals consist of either magnetite (Fe3O4) or greigite (Fe3S4) and cause cells to align along the Earth’s geomagnetic field lines as they swim, a trait called magnetotaxis. MTB are known to mainly inhabit the oxic–anoxic interface (OAI) in water columns or sediments of aquatic habitats and it is currently thought that magnetosomes function as a means of making chemotaxis more efficient in locating and maintaining an optimal position for …