Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2025

Growing Magnetotactic Bacteria of the Genus Magnetospirillum: Strains MSR-1, AMB-1 and MS-1
Published on: October 17, 2018
Experimental analysis of diverse actin-like proteins from various magnetotactic bacteria by functional expression in
Ram Prasad Awal1, Frank D Müller1, Daniel Pfeiffer1
1Department of Microbiology, Universitat Bayreuth , Bayreuth, Germany.
Importance:
To efficiently navigate within the geomagnetic field, magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) align their magnetosome organelles into chains, which are organized by the actin-like MamK protein. Although MamK is the most highly conserved magnetosome protein common to all MTB, its analysis has been confined to a small subgroup owing to the inaccessibility of most MTB. Our study takes advantage of a genetically tractable host where expression of diverse MamK orthologs together with a resurrected MamK LUCA and uncharacterized actin-like Mad28 proteins from deep-branching MTB resulted in gradual restoration of magnetosome chains in various mutants. Our results further indicate the existence of species-specific MamK interactors and shed light on the evolutionary relationships of one of the key proteins associated with bacterial magnetotaxis.
Related Concept Videos
Other Unique Bacteria
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria
Introduction to Actin
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments
Arp2/3 Complex
Arp2/3 complex is a seven-subunit complex consisting of two proteins similar to actin- Arp2 and Arp3, and five other subunits that help keep Arp2 and Arp3 inactive. When required, the complex is...
Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria

