Efficient long-range conduction in cable bacteria through nickel protein wires
Henricus T.S. Boschker (Universiteit Antwerpen, TU Delft - BT/Environmental Biotechnology)
Perran L.M. Cook (Monash University)
Lubos Polerecky (Universiteit Utrecht)
Raghavendran Thiruvallur Eachambadi (Universiteit Hasselt)
Helena Lozano (Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology)
Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez (Universiteit Antwerpen)
Dmitry Khalenkow (Universiteit Gent)
Da Wang (Universiteit Antwerpen)
Filip J.R. Meysman (Universiteit Antwerpen, TU Delft - BT/Environmental Biotechnology)
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Abstract
Filamentous cable bacteria display long-range electron transport, generating electrical currents over centimeter distances through a highly ordered network of fibers embedded in their cell envelope. The conductivity of these periplasmic wires is exceptionally high for a biological material, but their chemical structure and underlying electron transport mechanism remain unresolved. Here, we combine high-resolution microscopy, spectroscopy, and chemical imaging on individual cable bacterium filaments to demonstrate that the periplasmic wires consist of a conductive protein core surrounded by an insulating protein shell layer. The core proteins contain a sulfur-ligated nickel cofactor, and conductivity decreases when nickel is oxidized or selectively removed. The involvement of nickel as the active metal in biological conduction is remarkable, and suggests a hitherto unknown form of electron transport that enables efficient conduction in centimeter-long protein structures.
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