Magnetic genes: Studying the genetics of biomineralization in magnetotactic bacteria

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Abstract
Many species of bacteria can manufacture materials on a finer scale than those that are synthetically made. These products are often produced within intracellular compartments that bear many hallmarks of eukaryotic organelles. One unique and elegant group of organisms is at the forefront of studies into the mechanisms of organelle formation and biomineralization. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) produce organelles called magnetosomes that contain nanocrystals of magnetic material, and understanding the molecular mechanisms behind magnetosome formation and biomineralization is a rich area of study. In this Review, we focus on the genetics behind the formation of magnetosomes and biomineralization. We cover the history of genetic discoveries in MTB and key insights that have been found in recent years and provide a perspective on the future of genetic studies in MTB. Open any biology textbook and you are likely to learn that bacteria—unlike the cells of plants, animals, and other eukaryotes—do not contain organelles to compartmentalize and facilitate cellular functions. However, over the past several decades, many different bacterial organelles have been discovered. In this Review, we highlight magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), which are a group of organisms capable of producing organelles called magnetosomes where nano-sized crystals of magnetic material are synthesized and housed. In order to understand how and why MTB form magnetosomes, it is important to study the genes involved. Here, we lay out the history of genetic studies in MTB and more recent discoveries about which genes are involved at each step in the process of magnetosome formation and discuss where the field is headed.

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