Beyond the expected: the structural and functional diversity of bacterial amyloids

Intense research has confirmed the formerly theoretical distribution of amyloids in nature, and studies on different systems have illustrated the role of these proteins in microbial adaptation and in interactions with the environment. Two lines of research are expanding our knowledge on functional amyloids: (i) structural studies providing insights into the molecular machineries responsible for the transition from monomer to fibers and (ii) studies showing the way in which these proteins might participate in the microbial fitness in natural settings. Much is known about how amyloids play a role in the social behavior of bacteria, or biofilm formation, and in the adhesion of bacteria to surfaces; however, we are still in the initial stages of understanding a complementary involvement of amyloids in bacteria-host interactions. This review will cover the following two topics: first, the key aspects of the microbial platforms dedicated to the assembly of the fibers, and second, the mechanisms by which bacteria utilize the morphological and biochemical variability of amyloids to modulate the immunological response of the host, plants and humans, contributing to (i) infection, in the case of pathogenic bacteria or (ii) promotion of the health of the host, in the case of beneficial bacteria.