Issue 24, 2013
From the journal:

Soft Matter

The bacterial type IV pilus system – a tunable molecular motor

Berenike Maier*a  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Physics and Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
E-mail: berenike.maier@uni-koeln.de

Abstract

Bacteria have evolved surface-exposed polymers called pili with remarkable physical properties. This highlight describes recent advances in the biophysics of type IV pilus systems. They are strong molecular motors whose velocity and force are tunable by external inputs. Coordination of multiple pili for mediating pilus-driven surface motility depends on cell shape, surface interaction, and cooperation with other motors. Rational design of surfaces can control pilus-mediated surface movement and potentially biofilm architecture.

Graphical abstract: The bacterial type IV pilus system – a tunable molecular motor

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C3SM50546D
Article type
Highlight
Submitted
22 Feb 2013
Accepted
11 Apr 2013
First published
22 May 2013
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Soft Matter, 2013,9, 5667-5671

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The bacterial type IV pilus system – a tunable molecular motor

B. Maier, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 5667 DOI: 10.1039/C3SM50546D

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