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Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Growing Magnetotactic Bacteria of the Genus Magnetospirillum: Strains MSR-1, AMB-1 and MS-1
Published on: October 17, 2018
Biomineralization in magnetotactic bacteria: From diversity to molecular discovery-based applications
Juan Wan1, Runjia Ji1, Jia Liu2
1Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Abstract:
The synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4 or Fe3S4) within the membrane-bound organelles known as magnetosomes in magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) is a remarkable example of microbial-controlled biomineralization. Studying MTB biomineralization is crucial not only for understanding the origin and evolution of magnetoreception and bacterial organelles but also for advancing biotechnological and biomedical applications of MTB cells and magnetosomes. After decades of research, MTB have revealed unexpected diversity and complexity. The mechanisms underlying magnetosome biomineralization in MTB have been continuously documented using a few model MTB strains. In this review, we provide an overview of recent findings related to MTB diversity and focus primarily on the current understanding of magnetosome biosynthesis. Additionally, we summarize the growing biotechnological and biomedical applications derived from molecular studies of MTB and their magnetosomes.
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