Efficient long-range conduction in cable bacteria through nickel protein wires

Henricus T. S. Boschker (), Perran L. M. Cook, Lubos Polerecky, Raghavendran Thiruvallur Eachambadi, Helena Lozano, Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez, Dmitry Khalenkow, Valentina Spampinato, Nathalie Claes, Paromita Kundu, Da Wang, Sara Bals, Karina K. Sand, Francesca Cavezza, Tom Hauffman, Jesper Tataru Bjerg, Andre G. Skirtach, Kamila Kochan, Merrilyn McKee, Bayden Wood, Diana Bedolla, Alessandra Gianoncelli, Nicole M. J. Geerlings, Nani Gerven, Han Remaut, Jeanine S. Geelhoed, Ruben Millan-Solsona, Laura Fumagalli, Lars Peter Nielsen, Alexis Franquet, Jean V. Manca, Gabriel Gomila and Filip J. R. Meysman ()
Additional contact information
Henricus T. S. Boschker: Delft University of Technology
Perran L. M. Cook: Monash University
Lubos Polerecky: Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University
Raghavendran Thiruvallur Eachambadi: Hasselt University
Helena Lozano: Nanoscale Bioelectrical Characterization, Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez: University of Antwerp
Dmitry Khalenkow: University of Ghent
Valentina Spampinato: IMEC
Nathalie Claes: University of Antwerp
Paromita Kundu: University of Antwerp
Da Wang: University of Antwerp
Sara Bals: University of Antwerp
Karina K. Sand: University of Copenhagen
Francesca Cavezza: Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Tom Hauffman: Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Jesper Tataru Bjerg: University of Antwerp
Andre G. Skirtach: University of Ghent
Kamila Kochan: Monash University
Merrilyn McKee: Monash University
Bayden Wood: Monash University
Diana Bedolla: Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
Alessandra Gianoncelli: Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.
Nicole M. J. Geerlings: Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University
Nani Gerven: VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB)
Han Remaut: VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB)
Jeanine S. Geelhoed: University of Antwerp
Ruben Millan-Solsona: Nanoscale Bioelectrical Characterization, Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
Laura Fumagalli: University of Manchester
Lars Peter Nielsen: Aarhus University
Alexis Franquet: IMEC
Jean V. Manca: Hasselt University
Gabriel Gomila: Nanoscale Bioelectrical Characterization, Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
Filip J. R. Meysman: Delft University of Technology

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Filamentous cable bacteria display long-range electron transport, generating electrical currents over centimeter distances through a highly ordered network of fibers embedded in their cell envelope. The conductivity of these periplasmic wires is exceptionally high for a biological material, but their chemical structure and underlying electron transport mechanism remain unresolved. Here, we combine high-resolution microscopy, spectroscopy, and chemical imaging on individual cable bacterium filaments to demonstrate that the periplasmic wires consist of a conductive protein core surrounded by an insulating protein shell layer. The core proteins contain a sulfur-ligated nickel cofactor, and conductivity decreases when nickel is oxidized or selectively removed. The involvement of nickel as the active metal in biological conduction is remarkable, and suggests a hitherto unknown form of electron transport that enables efficient conduction in centimeter-long protein structures.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24312-4

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