Each year, the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) chooses a special bacterium to draw attention to the diversity of the microbial world. This year's winner is Myxococcus xanthus. This extremely fascinating bacterium is a research focus of our Department of Ecophysiology led by Prof. Lotte Søgaard-Andersen.
Hydrogen gas is a green energy carrier. Microorganisms use dedicated enzymes called hydrogenases to convert this gas into energy. One of the model enzymes is [Fe]-hydrogenase (Hmd) that catalyzes the reversible hydride transfer between H2 and the methanogenic C1-carrier tetrahydromethanopterin using a unique prosthetic group, the FeGP cofactor. Up…
Protein secretion is used by all cells to deliver proteins to different cellular compartments. In bacteria, proteins secreted to the extracellular milieu play key roles in a multitude of important processes including virulence, biofilm formation, adhesion, interactions between bacteria in microbiomes, host-microbe interactions, adaptation and…
Plants are under constant attack by pathogens. To protect themselves, plants produce an array of defense proteins. Kiwellins are a family of secreted plant proteins that are common in many plant species. However, their biological functions remain largely unknown. An exception is Kwl1 from kiwi fruit, which acts as a human allergen. Scientists at…
Smut fungi are pathogens that parasitize mainly grass plants including economically important cereals like maize. Most smut pathogens cause disease symptoms only in the flowers of their host plants. An exception is Ustilago maydis, a fungus inducing tumor formation and anthocyanin accumulation in all above ground organs of maize (Figure 1)…
Hydrogenase enzymes catalyze production and utilization of hydrogen gas, which is considered as a future energy carrier. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and a collaborator at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysics discovered that [Fe]-hydrogenase is protected by conformational change of the protein…
Bacteria utilize CRISPR-Cas systems to defend themselves against viral attacks. Six major CRISPR-Cas Types have been classified based on the presence of signature proteins. Five of these six types are characterized well. Scientists of the Max Planck Society have now uncovered the components of the elusive type IV system, which include a novel…
The fungus Ustilago maydis causes maize smut disease. When infecting maize plants the fungus is recognized through the plant immune system which attacks the intruder through a cocktail of defense molecules. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg have uncovered a new mechanism that allows the fungus to…
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![Protection of [Fe]-hydrogenase](/416905/teaser-1561027823.webp?t=eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTYwLCJoZWlnaHQiOjY0MCwiZml0IjoiY3JvcCIsImZpbGVfZXh0ZW5zaW9uIjoid2VicCIsIm9ial9pZCI6NDE2OTA1fQ%3D%3D--c35a08047d48bfc25e0598260fec42fd23625a50)
