A 3D Soft X-Ray Structural Atlas of Multicellular Cable Bacteria
- 1University of Southern California
Abstract
The multicellular filamentous cable bacteria perform centimeter-scale electron transport via a continuous periplasmic conductive network. Resolving how this electrical architecture is coordinated with intracellular organization requires an integrated approach coupling 3D ultrastructure with in situ biochemical composition. Here, we integrate soft X-ray tomography (SXT) with cryo-electron tomography, elemental mapping, and fluorescence microscopy to generate a volumetric 3D atlas of intact cable bacteria filaments. Whole-cell reconstructions reveal physiological heterogeneity and cell-cycle-dependent reorganization of intracellular vesicles and granules. X-ray absorption measurements resolve biochemical differences within the physically continuous conductive apparatus, where periplasmic conductive fibers possess higher biomolecular density than junction lamellae at cell junctions. Furthermore, cell elongation preceding division is associated with two high-density, ring-like nucleoid-associated domains, accompanied by asymmetric membrane constriction and localized FtsZ assemblies. These findings establish SXT as a powerful approach for studying multicellular bacterial organization and provide a multi-scale framework for understanding the conductive machinery of cable bacteria.
Related
- Cable-routing geometry as a design variable for multiplanar hip assistance in a single-actuator soft exosuit
- A genome-resolved atlas reveals lineage-specific activity patterns of prophages in cultured human gut bacteria
- Functional, structural, and taxonomical diversity of glycoside transporters in bacteria
- An atlas of functional ensembles in the zebrafish hindbrain links structural and molecular features to behavior
- Single-cell transcriptomic atlas uncovers immune/structural lineage remodeling and fibrosis in Klebsiella pneumoniae-infected porcine lungs.
BibTeX
@misc{coelho2026soft,
title = {{A 3D Soft X-Ray Structural Atlas of Multicellular Cable Bacteria}},
author = {A. Coelho and A. Deshmukh and V. Loconte and M. A. Maclean and C. A. Larabell and M. Y. El-Naggar},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.16.752168},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.16.752168v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A 3D Soft X-Ray Structural Atlas of Multicellular Cable Bacteria
AU - A. Coelho
AU - A. Deshmukh
AU - V. Loconte
AU - M. A. Maclean
AU - C. A. Larabell
AU - M. Y. El-Naggar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/16
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.16.752168
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.16.752168v1
AB - The multicellular filamentous cable bacteria perform centimeter-scale electron transport via a continuous periplasmic conductive network. Resolving how this electrical architecture is coordinated with intracellular organization requires an integrated approach coupling 3D ultrastructure with in situ biochemical composition. Here, we integrate soft X-ray tomography (SXT) with cryo-electron tomography, elemental mapping, and fluorescence microscopy to generate a volumetric 3D atlas of intact cable bacteria filaments. Whole-cell reconstructions reveal physiological heterogeneity and cell-cycle-dependent reorganization of intracellular vesicles and granules. X-ray absorption measurements resolve biochemical differences within the physically continuous conductive apparatus, where periplasmic conductive fibers possess higher biomolecular density than junction lamellae at cell junctions. Furthermore, cell elongation preceding division is associated with two high-density, ring-like nucleoid-associated domains, accompanied by asymmetric membrane constriction and localized FtsZ assemblies. These findings establish SXT as a powerful approach for studying multicellular bacterial organization and provide a multi-scale framework for understanding the conductive machinery of cable bacteria.
ER -