Processes of molecular innovation require tinkering and shifting in the function of existing
genes. How this occurs in terms of molecular evolution at long evolutionary scales remains …

Type IV pili (Tfp) are a unique class of multifunctional surface organelles in Gram‐negative
bacteria, which play important roles in prokaryotic cell biology. Although components of the …

SUMMARY Type IV pili (T4P) are multifunctional protein fibers produced on the surfaces of a
wide variety of bacteria and archaea. The major subunit of T4P is the type IV pilin, and …

Many surface structures in archaea including various types of pili and the archaellum
(archaeal flagellum) are homologous to bacterial type IV pili systems (T4P). The T4P consist …

Motility and protein secretion are key processes contributing to bacterial virulence. A wealth
of phylogenetic, biochemical and structural evidence support the hypothesis that the widely …

Prokaryotes have engineered sophisticated surface nanomachines that have allowed them
to colonize Earth and thrive even in extreme environments. Filamentous machineries …

The bacterial type IV pilus (T4P) is a versatile molecular machine with a broad range of
functions. Recent advances revealed that the molecular components and the biophysical …

SUMMARY Type IV pili (T4P) are surface-exposed fibers that mediate many functions in
bacteria, including locomotion, adherence to host cells, DNA uptake (competence), and …

Bacteria and archaea rely on appendages called type IV pili (T4P) to participate in diverse
behaviors including surface sensing, biofilm formation, virulence, protein secretion and …

Type IV pili (Tfp) mediate the movement of bacteria over surfaces without the use of flagella.
These movements are known as social gliding in Myxococcus xanthus and twitching in …