Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 21, 2026

Synthetic Spider Silk Production on a Laboratory Scale
Published on: July 18, 2012
Abstract:
Spiroplasmas contain long flexuous fibrils composed of a protein, molecular weight 55,000, which is specific to Spiroplasma and is highly conserved among different species. The protein cannot be detected in other wall-less prokaryotes reported to contain actin-like proteins and is unrelated to eukaryotic cytoskeletal components. Fibrils occur in similar concentrations in helical and nonhelical strains of Spiroplasma citri. Proposals that fibrils are responsible for maintenance of helical cell shape and rotary motility are discussed in the light of these findings. Evidence is presented which suggests that fibrils may be arrayed as one or more bundles in intact cells and a consistent association of these structures with DNA filaments is noted. These observations are discussed in relation to possible models to account for the maintenance of helical morphology and to the segregation of chromosomes during cell division.
Related Concept Videos
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments
Surface Appendages of Archaea
Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes

