Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

METALLOPROTEINS

Uncovering nature’s electronics

Nature Chemical Biology volume 16, pages 1041–1042 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

The electrogenic bacterium Geobacter synthesizes conductive extracellular nanowires to facilitate electron transfer that powers respiration. A highly conductive form of these nanowires is now revealed to be composed of oligomers of an 8-heme cytochrome, OmcZ.

In the absence of oxygen, some bacteria use extracellular electron acceptors to support respiration. Collectively, these bacteria are known as dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria, of which Geobacter and Shewanella are the most well-studied members1. Functional extracellular electron acceptors include not only Fe(iii) and Mn(iv) minerals but also electrodes, which form the key component of microbial fuel cells that can generate electrical energy. Many of the most proficient energy-generating organisms are from the Geobacter genus, forming thick biofilms on the electrode surface2. These electrogenic bacteria transport intracellularly generated electrons to the electrode using conductive nanowires to facilitate electron transfer over large distances. In a new study, Yalcin et al. identified a new type of conductive nanowire produced by Geobacter that displays enhanced physical and electrical properties compared to previously identified cytochrome nanowires3. This study not only increases our understanding of the diverse mechanisms of bacterial extracellular electron transfer (EET), but also provides exciting opportunities for the development of bioelectronics.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Comparison of Geobacter nanowires.

References

  1. White, G. F. et al. Adv. Microb. Physiol. 68, 87–138 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Steidl, R. J., Lampa-Pastirk, S. & Reguera, G. Nat. Commun. 7, 12217 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Yalcin, S. E. et al. Nat. Chem. Biol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-020-0623-9 (2020).

  4. Jimenez Otero, F. et al. J. Bacteriol. 200, e00347-18 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang, F. et al. Cell 177, 361–369.e10 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Adhikari, R. Y. et al. Rsc Adv 6, 8363–8366 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lovley, D. R. & Walker, D. J. F. Front. Microbiol. 10, 2078 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Mishra, S., Pirbadian, S., Mondal, A. K., El-Naggar, M. Y. & Naaman, R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141, 19198–19202 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Feliciano, G. T., Steidl, R. J. & Reguera, G. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 17, 22217–22226 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, UK

    Thomas A. Clarke

  2. School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, UK

    Marcus J. Edwards

Authors
  1. Thomas A. Clarke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marcus J. Edwards
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Thomas A. Clarke or Marcus J. Edwards.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Clarke, T.A., Edwards, M.J. Uncovering nature’s electronics. Nat Chem Biol 16, 1041–1042 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-020-00655-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-020-00655-9

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing