Magnetosomes Are Cell Membrane Invaginations Organized by the Actin-Like Protein MamK

Magnetosomes are membranous bacterial organelles sharing many features of eukaryotic organelles. Using electron cryotomography, we found that magnetosomes are invaginations of the cell membrane flanked by a network of cytoskeletal filaments. The filaments appeared to be composed of MamK, a homolog o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2006-01, Vol.311 (5758), p.242-245
Main Authors: Komeili, Arash, Li, Zhuo, Newman, Dianne K, Jensen, Grant J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actins - chemistry
Bacteria
Bacterial Proteins - chemistry
Bacterial Proteins - genetics
Bacterial Proteins - physiology
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Cell Membrane Structures - chemistry
Cell Membrane Structures - physiology
Cell Membrane Structures - ultrastructure
Cell membranes
Cells
Cryoelectron Microscopy
Crystals
Cytoskeleton
Electrons
Ferrosoferric Oxide
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Magnetite
Magnetosomes
Magnetospirillum - cytology
Magnetospirillum - genetics
Magnetospirillum - physiology
Magnetospirillum - ultrastructure
Membranes
Microbiology
Morphology, structure, chemical composition
Mutation
Organelles
Organelles - chemistry
Organelles - physiology
Organelles - ultrastructure
Prokaryotic cells
Proteins
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Summary:Magnetosomes are membranous bacterial organelles sharing many features of eukaryotic organelles. Using electron cryotomography, we found that magnetosomes are invaginations of the cell membrane flanked by a network of cytoskeletal filaments. The filaments appeared to be composed of MamK, a homolog of the bacterial actin-like protein MreB, which formed filaments in vivo. In a mamK deletion strain, the magnetosome-associated cytoskeleton was absent and individual magnetosomes were no longer organized into chains. Thus, it seems that prokaryotes can use cytoskeletal filaments to position organelles within the cell.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1123231