Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry
Online ISSN : 1347-6947
Print ISSN : 0916-8451

This article has now been updated. Please use the final version.

Superchannel of Bacteria: Biological Significance and New Horizons
Kousaku MURATAShigeyuki KAWAIBunzo MIKAMIWataru HASHIMOTO
Author information
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS Advance online publication

Article ID: 70635

Details
Abstract
Sphingomonas species A1 is a newly identified pit-forming bacterium that directly incorporates a macromolecule (alginate) into its cytoplasm through a pit-dependent transport system, which we termed a superchannel. A pit is a novel, high-dimensional organ acquired through the fluidity and reconstitution of cell surface molecules, including flagellin, and through cooperation with the transport machinery in the cells, which confers upon bacterial cells a more efficient way to secure and assimilate macromolecules. The analysis of the superchannel changes general ideas regarding the fluidity and function of the cell surface, evolution and origin of cell-surface organs, including flagella, transport, and assimilation systems of macromolecules, and the divergence and energetics of metabolism.
Content from these authors

This article cannot obtain the latest cited-by information.

© 2008 by Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry
feedback
Top