Overproduction of Magnetosomes by Genomic Amplification of Biosynthesis-Related Gene Clusters in a Magnetotactic Bacterium.

ABSTRACT:

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Magnetotactic bacteria biosynthesize specific organelles, the magnetosomes, which are membrane-enclosed crystals of a magnetic iron mineral that are aligned in a linear chain. The number and size of magnetosome particles have to be critically controlled to build a sensor sufficiently strong to ensure the efficient alignment of cells within Earth's weak magnetic field while at the same time minimizing the metabolic costs imposed by excessive magnetosome biosynthesis. Apart from their biological function, bacterial magnetosomes have gained considerable interest since they provide a highly useful model for prokaryotic organelle formation and represent biogenic magnetic nanoparticles with exceptional properties. However, potential applications have been hampered by the diffi

SUBMITTER: Lohße A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4959066 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature