2024
Widespread extracellular electron transfer pathways for charging microbial cytochrome OmcS nanowires via periplasmic cytochromes PpcABCDE
Portela P, Shipps C, Shen C, Srikanth V, Salgueiro C, Malvankar N. Widespread extracellular electron transfer pathways for charging microbial cytochrome OmcS nanowires via periplasmic cytochromes PpcABCDE. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 2434. PMID: 38509081, PMCID: PMC10954620, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46192-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsExtracellular electron transferExtracellular electron transfer pathwaysHeme reduction potentialEfficient extracellular electron transferInner membraneBiotechnological applicationsPeriplasmic cytochromesMicrobial nanowiresElectron transfer pathwayPpcABCDEPathwayEET pathwayCytochromePeriplasmEnvironmental processesMicrobesElectron transferBacteriaGeobacterTransfer pathwayReduction potential
2023
Structure of Geobacter cytochrome OmcZ identifies mechanism of nanowire assembly and conductivity
Gu Y, Guberman-Pfeffer M, Srikanth V, Shen C, Giska F, Gupta K, Londer Y, Samatey F, Batista V, Malvankar N. Structure of Geobacter cytochrome OmcZ identifies mechanism of nanowire assembly and conductivity. Nature Microbiology 2023, 8: 284-298. PMID: 36732469, PMCID: PMC9999484, DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01315-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNanowire assembliesHigh electron conductivityExtracellular electron transportNanowire networksExtracellular electron acceptorsG. sulfurreducensElectron conductivityCryogenic electron microscopy structureNanowiresHigh conductivityElectron microscopy structureSerine proteasesDifferent biochemical environmentsElectron transportMicroscopy structureDiverse speciesGeobacter speciesSulfurreducensConductivityImportant bacteriaCharge interactionsElectron acceptorBiochemical environmentSpeciesIdentifies mechanisms
2021
Making protons tag along with electrons
Guberman-Pfeffer MJ, Malvankar NS. Making protons tag along with electrons. Biochemical Journal 2021, 478: 4093-4097. PMID: 34871365, DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210592.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsExtracellular electron transferProtein engineering strategiesNanowiresBioelectronic applicationsElectron/proton transferEngineering strategiesPeriplasmic cytochromesSoil microbesBioenergetic machineryPili filamentsExtracellular acceptorsGeobacter sulfurreducensElectron transferRecent studiesHarsh environmentsOxidation of nutrientsAliphatic residuesElectron acceptorCellsOMCElectronsFermentationEnergy generationBiofuelsSulfurreducensStructure of Geobacter pili reveals secretory rather than nanowire behaviour
Gu Y, Srikanth V, Salazar-Morales AI, Jain R, O’Brien J, Yi SM, Soni RK, Samatey FA, Yalcin SE, Malvankar NS. Structure of Geobacter pili reveals secretory rather than nanowire behaviour. Nature 2021, 597: 430-434. PMID: 34471289, PMCID: PMC9127704, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03857-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsExtracellular electron transferType 4 piliElectron transferProtein nanowiresCryo-electron microscopyNanowiresNanowire behaviorGeobacter piliC-terminal residuesTranslocation machineryAssembly architectureLoss of secretionMajor phylaGeobacter speciesPrevious structural analysisSurface appendagesGeobacter sulfurreducensAromatic side chainsPiliPilAΠ stackingWidespread effectsBioelectronicsMicroorganismsFilaments
2020
The blind men and the filament: Understanding structures and functions of microbial nanowires
Yalcin SE, Malvankar NS. The blind men and the filament: Understanding structures and functions of microbial nanowires. Current Opinion In Chemical Biology 2020, 59: 193-201. PMID: 33070100, PMCID: PMC7736336, DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.08.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMicrobial nanowiresExtracellular electron transferDifferent nanowiresNanowiresPotential applicationsCryo-electron microscopyTransport electronsMultimodal functional imagingElectron transferBioelectronicsImportant environmental processesRecent discoveryPhysiological studiesOMCApplicationsMicroscopyBiofuelsSensingPhysiological needsMicrometersCrucial roleUnderstanding structureDirect evidenceThousands of papersEnergy productionElectric field stimulates production of highly conductive microbial OmcZ nanowires
Yalcin SE, O’Brien J, Gu Y, Reiss K, Yi SM, Jain R, Srikanth V, Dahl PJ, Huynh W, Vu D, Acharya A, Chaudhuri S, Varga T, Batista VS, Malvankar NS. Electric field stimulates production of highly conductive microbial OmcZ nanowires. Nature Chemical Biology 2020, 16: 1136-1142. PMID: 32807967, PMCID: PMC7502555, DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0623-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsConductive protein nanowiresIndividual nanowiresProtein nanowiresElectronic functionalityNanowiresElectric fieldGeobacter sulfurreducens biofilmsHigh conductivityMost natural materialsHigh stiffnessElectrical signalsBidirectional interfaceElectronic systemsLiving materialsNatural materialsΠ stackingSpectroscopic studiesEnergy productionNanospectroscopyConductivityStiffnessConformational switchingΒ-sheetHeme groupSensing
2019
Structure of Microbial Nanowires Reveals Stacked Hemes that Transport Electrons over Micrometers
Wang F, Gu Y, O’Brien J, Yi SM, Yalcin SE, Srikanth V, Shen C, Vu D, Ing NL, Hochbaum AI, Egelman EH, Malvankar NS. Structure of Microbial Nanowires Reveals Stacked Hemes that Transport Electrons over Micrometers. Cell 2019, 177: 361-369.e10. PMID: 30951668, PMCID: PMC6720112, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.029.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2017
Expressing the Geobacter metallireducens PilA in Geobacter sulfurreducens Yields Pili with Exceptional Conductivity
Tan Y, Adhikari RY, Malvankar NS, Ward JE, Woodard TL, Nevin KP, Lovley DR. Expressing the Geobacter metallireducens PilA in Geobacter sulfurreducens Yields Pili with Exceptional Conductivity. MBio 2017, 8: 10.1128/mbio.02203-16. PMID: 28096491, PMCID: PMC5241403, DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02203-16.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2016
A Simple and Low‐Cost Procedure for Growing Geobacter sulfurreducens Cell Cultures and Biofilms in Bioelectrochemical Systems
O'Brien JP, Malvankar NS. A Simple and Low‐Cost Procedure for Growing Geobacter sulfurreducens Cell Cultures and Biofilms in Bioelectrochemical Systems. Current Protocols In Microbiology 2016, 43: a.4k.1-a.4k.27. PMID: 27858972, PMCID: PMC5726868, DOI: 10.1002/cpmc.20.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnaerobiosisBiofilmsCell Culture TechniquesElectricityElectrochemical TechniquesGeobacterConceptsAnaerobic microorganismsGlobal biogeochemical cyclingModel organismsBacterial cell cultureBiogeochemical cyclingGeobacter sulfurreducensAnaerobic environmentMicroorganismsCell culturesCentral roleProduction of bioenergyOrganismsEnvironmental processesBioelectrochemical systemsSulfurreducensLow-cost assemblyBiofilmsMajor hurdleNutrientsAssemblyCultivationReply to 'Measuring conductivity of living Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms'
Malvankar NS, Rotello VM, Tuominen MT, Lovley DR. Reply to 'Measuring conductivity of living Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms'. Nature Nanotechnology 2016, 11: 913-914. PMID: 27821844, DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2016.191.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLow Energy Atomic Models Suggesting a Pilus Structure that could Account for Electrical Conductivity of Geobacter sulfurreducens Pili
Xiao K, Malvankar NS, Shu C, Martz E, Lovley DR, Sun X. Low Energy Atomic Models Suggesting a Pilus Structure that could Account for Electrical Conductivity of Geobacter sulfurreducens Pili. Scientific Reports 2016, 6: 23385. PMID: 27001169, PMCID: PMC4802205, DOI: 10.1038/srep23385.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2015
Functional environmental proteomics: elucidating the role of a c-type cytochrome abundant during uranium bioremediation
Yun J, Malvankar NS, Ueki T, Lovley DR. Functional environmental proteomics: elucidating the role of a c-type cytochrome abundant during uranium bioremediation. The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal Of Microbial Ecology 2015, 10: 310-320. PMID: 26140532, PMCID: PMC4737924, DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.113.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsC-type cytochromesGeobacter spOuter-surface c-type cytochromesTight phylogenetic groupDissimilatory metal-reducing microorganismsProteomic studiesPhylogenetic groupsMetal-reducing microorganismsPhylogenetic clustersGenomic DNAFunctional analysisStrain M18Apparent functionClade 1Uranium bioremediationGeobacter sulfurreducensConductive piliGel separationCytochromeGenomeSpBioremediation experimentsCytochrome aPure cultureSubsurface environments