11
Microbial Nanowires
Ahmed Marroki
Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University Djillali Liabes, Sidi Bel Abbès,
Algeria
Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Microbial Genetic, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University
Oran1, Oran, Algeria
Leila Bousmaha-Marroki
Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University Djillali Liabes, Sidi Bel Abbès,
Algeria
Laboratory of Research in Environment and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University Djillali Liabes, Sidi
Bel Abbès, Algeria
CONTENTS
11.1
Introduction......................................................................................................................172
11.2
Microbial Pilus: From Fimbriae to Nanowires...........................................................172
11.2.1 Chaperone-Usher (CU) Pili..............................................................................173
11.2.2 Curli .....................................................................................................................174
11.2.3 Type III Secretion System (T3SS)....................................................................174
11.2.4 Type IV Secretion System (T4SS)....................................................................174
11.2.5 Type IV Pili.........................................................................................................174
11.3
Microbial Nanowires and Bacterial Extracellular Electron Transfer (EET) ..........175
11.4
Nanowire-Producing Bacteria: Taxonomy, Description, and
nanowire Production ......................................................................................................176
11.4.1 Description of the Genus Geobacter ................................................................176
11.4.2 Description of the Genus Shewanella..............................................................176
11.4.3 Nanowire Formation and Structure...............................................................176
11.5
Geobacter and Shewanella EET Mechanism ..............................................................177
11.5.1 The Hopping Mechanism by S. Oneidensis Strain MR-1 Nanowires .......177
11.5.2 Tunneling Mechanism ......................................................................................177
11.5.3 Metal-Like Conductivity by G. Sulfurreducens Nanowires.........................179
11.6
Biotechnological Application of Microbial EET.........................................................179
11.6.1 Bioremediation ...................................................................................................180
11.6.2 Bioelectricity and Bioenergy Production.......................................................180
11.7
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................182
References ....................................................................................................................................183
DOI: 10.1201/9781003263265-11
171