biostudies-literaturePaulus ABundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Federal Ministry of Education and Research)Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung10657https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11628618biostudies-literatureUnknown15(1)Organelle-specific protein translocation systems are essential for organelle biogenesis and maintenance in eukaryotes but thought to be absent from prokaryotic organelles. Here, we demonstrate that MamF-like proteins are crucial for the formation and functionality of bacterial magnetosome organelles. Deletion of mamF-like genes in the Alphaproteobacterium Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense results in severe defects in organelle positioning, biomineralization, and magnetic navigation. These phenotypic defects result from the disrupted targeting of a subset of magnetosomal proteins that contain C-terminal glycine-rich integral membrane domains. Phylogenetic analyses reveal an ancient evolutionary link between MamF-like proteins and plastidial Tic20. Our findings redefine the molecular roles ofNature communicationsMamF-like proteins are distant Tic20 homologs involved in organelle assembly in bacteria.PMC11628618MagBioFabBecher DHofmann HSchraut AAhrens FUebe RPaulus ASura TSchiller TfalseMamF-like proteins are distant Tic20 homologs involved in organelle assembly in bacteria.Organelle-specific protein translocation systems are essential for organelle biogenesis and maintenance in eukaryotes but thought to be absent from prokaryotic organelles. Here, we demonstrate that MamF-like proteins are crucial for the formation and functionality of bacterial magnetosome organelles. Deletion of mamF-like genes in the Alphaproteobacterium Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense results in severe defects in organelle positioning, biomineralization, and magnetic navigation. These phenotypic defects result from the disrupted targeting of a subset of magnetosomal proteins that contain C-terminal glycine-rich integral membrane domains. Phylogenetic analyses reveal an ancient evolutionary link between MamF-like proteins and plastidial Tic20. Our findings redefine the molecular roles of2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Dec2026-05-04T06:53:20.655Z2025-04-06T17:31:24.123ZS-EPMC116286183965372910.1038/s41467-024-55121-0