title: Exceptionally widespread nanomachines composed of type IV pilins: the prokaryotic Swiss Army knives.
abstract: Prokaryotes have engineered sophisticated surface nanomachines that have allowed them to colonize Earth and thrive even in extreme environments. Filamentous machineries composed of type IV pilins, which are associated with an amazing array of properties ranging from motility to electric conductance, are arguably the most widespread since distinctive proteins dedicated to their biogenesis are found in most known species of prokaryotes. Several decades of investigations, starting with type IV pili and then a variety of related systems both in bacteria and archaea, have outlined common molecular and structural bases for these nanomachines. Using type IV pili as a paradigm, we will highlight in this review common aspects and key biological differences of this group of filamentous structures.
authors: MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors: Jamie-Lee
authors: JL
authors: Berry
authors: MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK v.pelicic@imperial.ac.uk.
authors: Vladimir
authors: V
authors: Pelicic
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D017510:Protein Folding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D036781:Fimbriae Proteins
keywords: archaellum; class III signal peptide; prepilin peptidase; type II secretion system; type IV pilus