Cryo-EM reveals the structural basis of long-range electron transport in a cytochrome-based bacterial nanowire
Abstract
Electrically conductive pili from Geobacter species, termed bacterial nanowires, are intensely studied for their biological significance and potential in the development of new materials. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we have characterized nanowires from conductive G. sulfurreducens pili preparations that are composed solely of head-to-tail stacked monomers of the six-heme C-type cytochrome OmcS. The unique fold of OmcS — closely wrapped around a continuous stack of hemes that can serve as an uninterrupted path for electron transport — generates a scaffold that supports the unbranched chain of hemes along the central axis of the filament. We present here, at 3.4 Å resolution, the structure of this cytochrome-based filament and discuss its possible role in long-range biological electron transport.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jun 19, 2019
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s42003-019-0448-9
Entities
People
- Derek R. Lovley
- Esther Bullitt
- Joy E. Ward
- Mike Strauss
- Stephen F. Marino
- Yang Lu
- Zoltan Mester
- david filman
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research