Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
Biol Chem. 2018 Jun 27;399(7):799-808. doi: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0157.
Bacteria and archaea are evolutionarily distinct prokaryotes that diverged from a common ancestor billions of years ago. However, both bacteria and archaea assemble long, helical protein filaments on their surface through a machinery that is conserved at its core. In both domains of life, the filaments are required for a diverse array of important cellular processes including cell motility, adhesion, communication and biofilm formation. In this review, we highlight the recent structures of both the type IV pilus machinery and the archaellum determined in situ. We describe the current level of functional understanding and discuss how this relates to the pressures facing bacteria and archaea throughout evolution.
细菌和古菌是进化上不同的原核生物，它们在数十亿年前从一个共同的祖先中分化出来。然而，细菌和古菌都通过一种核心保守的机制在其表面组装长的、螺旋状的蛋白质丝。在这两个生命领域中，丝状结构对于多种重要的细胞过程都是必需的，包括细胞运动、黏附、通讯和生物膜形成。在这篇综述中，我们强调了最近在原位确定的 IV 型菌毛机制和菌毛的结构。我们描述了当前对其功能的理解水平，并讨论了这与细菌和古菌在进化过程中所面临的压力有何关系。
