Komeili Arash
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Annu Rev Biochem. 2007;76:351-66. doi: 10.1146/annurev.biochem.74.082803.133444.
Magnetotactic bacteria are a diverse group of microorganisms with the ability to use geomagnetic fields for direction sensing. This unique feat is accomplished with the help of magnetosomes, nanometer-sized magnetic crystals surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane and organized into chains via a dedicated cytoskeleton within the cell. Because of the special properties of these magnetic crystals, magnetotactic bacteria have been exploited for a variety of applications in diverse disciplines from geobiology to biotechnology. In addition, magnetosomes have served as a powerful model system for the study of biomineralization and cell biology in bacteria. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of magnetosome formation and magnetite biomineralization.
趋磁细菌是一类多样的微生物，具有利用地磁场进行方向感知的能力。这一独特的本领借助磁小体得以实现，磁小体是纳米级的磁性晶体，被脂质双分子层膜包围，并通过细胞内专门的细胞骨架组织成链状。由于这些磁性晶体的特殊性质，趋磁细菌已被应用于从地球生物学到生物技术等不同学科的各种领域。此外，磁小体已成为研究细菌生物矿化和细胞生物学的强大模型系统。本综述重点关注在理解磁小体形成和磁铁矿生物矿化分子机制方面的最新进展。
