Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2025

Electrochemical Detection of Deuterium Kinetic Isotope Effect on Extracellular Electron Transport in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1
Published on: April 16, 2018
A widespread and ancient bacterial machinery assembles cytochrome OmcS nanowires essential for extracellular electron
Cong Shen1, Aldo I Salazar-Morales2, Wonhyeuk Jung3
1Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06536, USA.
Abstract:
Microbial extracellular electron transfer (EET) drives various globally important environmental phenomena and has biotechnology applications. Diverse prokaryotes have been proposed to perform EET via surface-displayed "nanowires" composed of multi-heme cytochromes. However, the mechanism that enables only a few cytochromes to polymerize into nanowires is unclear. Here, we identify a highly conserved omcS-companion (osc) cluster that drives the formation of cytochrome OmcS nanowires in Geobacter sulfurreducens. Through a combination of genetic, biochemical, and biophysical methods, we establish that prolyl isomerase-containing chaperon OscH, channel-like OscEFG, and β-propeller-like OscD are involved in the folding, secretion, and morphology maintenance of OmcS nanowires, respectively. OscH and OscG can interact with OmcS. Furthermore, overexpression of oscG accelerates EET by overproducing nanowires in an ATP-dependent manner. Heme loading splits OscD; ΔoscD accelerates cell growth, bundles nanowires into cables. Our findings establish the mechanism and prevalence of a specialized and modular assembly system for nanowires across phylogenetically diverse species and environments.
Related Concept Videos
Electron Transport Chain: Complex III and IV
Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
The Supercomplexes in the Crista Membrane
Electron Transport Chains
The ETC is comprised of...
Structure of Porins
The Electron Transport Chain
Inhibitors of the electron transport chain
Rotenone, a widely used pesticide, prevents electron transfer from Fe-S cluster to ubiquinone or Q...

