Thermococcus species produce MVs (membrane vesicles) into their culture medium. These MVs are formed by a budding process from the cell envelope, similar to ectosome formation in eukaryotic cells. The major protein present in MVs of Thermococci is a peptide-binding receptor of the OppA (oligopeptide-binding protein A) family. In addition, some of them contain a homologue of stomatin, a universal membrane protein involved in vesiculation. MVs produced by Thermococcus species can recruit endogenous or exogenous plasmids and plasmid transfer through MVs has been demonstrated in Thermococcus kodakaraensis. MVs are frequently secreted in clusters surrounded by S-layer, producing either big protuberances (nanosphere) or tubular structures (nanotubes). Thermococcus gammatolerans and T. kodakaraensis produce nanotubes containing strings of MVs, resembling the recently described nanopods in bacteria, whereas Thermococcus sp. 5-4 produces filaments whose internal membrane is continuous. These nanotubes can bridge neighbouring cells, forming cellular networks somehow resembling nanotubes recently observed in Firmicutes. As suggested for bacteria, archaeal nanopods and/or nanotubes could be used to expand the metabolic sphere around cells and/or to promote intercellular communication.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
February 2013
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
- PDF Icon PDF LinkFront Matter
- PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
Conference Article|
January 29 2013
Membrane vesicles, nanopods and/or nanotubes produced by hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus Thermococcus
Evelyne Marguet;
Evelyne Marguet
1
*Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS UMR8621, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
1Correspondence may be addressed to either of these authors (email[email protected] or [email protected]).
Search for other works by this author on:
Marie Gaudin;
Marie Gaudin
*Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS UMR8621, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
Search for other works by this author on:
Emilie Gauliard;
Emilie Gauliard
*Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS UMR8621, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
Search for other works by this author on:
Isabelle Fourquaux;
Isabelle Fourquaux
†Centre de Microscopie Electronique Appliquée à la Biologie, CMEAB Faculté de Médecine Rangueil, 133 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex, France
Search for other works by this author on:
Stephane le Blond du Plouy;
Stephane le Blond du Plouy
†Centre de Microscopie Electronique Appliquée à la Biologie, CMEAB Faculté de Médecine Rangueil, 133 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex, France
Search for other works by this author on:
Ikuo Matsui;
Ikuo Matsui
‡Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
Search for other works by this author on:
Patrick Forterre
Patrick Forterre
1
*Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS UMR8621, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
§Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
1Correspondence may be addressed to either of these authors (email[email protected] or [email protected]).
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
November 02 2012
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2013 Biochemical Society
2013
Biochem Soc Trans (2013) 41 (1): 436–442.
Article history
Received:
November 02 2012
Citation
Evelyne Marguet, Marie Gaudin, Emilie Gauliard, Isabelle Fourquaux, Stephane le Blond du Plouy, Ikuo Matsui, Patrick Forterre; Membrane vesicles, nanopods and/or nanotubes produced by hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus Thermococcus. Biochem Soc Trans 1 February 2013; 41 (1): 436–442. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20120293
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Biochemical Society Member Sign in
Sign InSign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionGet Access To This Article
Get Email Alerts
Open Access for all
We offer compliant routes for all authors from 2025. With library support, there will be no author nor reader charges in 5 journals. Check here |
![]() |