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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Directed Cellular Self-Assembly to Fabricate Cell-Derived Tissue Rings for Biomechanical Analysis and Tissue Engineering
Published on: November 25, 2011
Tying rings for sex
Markus Kalkum1, Ralf Eisenbrandt, Rudi Lurz
1Department of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021-6399, USA.
Abstract:
The primary component of the sex pilus encoded by IncP (RP4) and Ti plasmids has been identified as a circular pilin protein with a peptide bond between the amino and carboxyl terminus. Here, we review the key experiments that led to this discovery, and the present mechanistic model for pilin-precursor processing and the cyclization reaction. In addition, we discuss the implications for horizontal gene transfer in bacterial conjugation.
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