Conclusion

After 40 years of scientific study, magnetotactic bacteria remain a rich and fascinating subject for many disciplines. From a fundamental point of view, major progress has been made in identifying the genetic determinants involved in magnetosome synthesis, and a preliminary view of the various stages in the synthesis of this organelle can now be described. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still largely unknown. A great deal of work is also underway to characterize the evolutionary history of magnetotactic bacteria, in order to decide whether magnetotaxis results from horizontal gene transfer between microorganisms, or from the loss of an ancestral trait. Finally, the biotechnological approaches currently being developed are directly linked to and conditioned by advances in our understanding of the fundamental processes involved in magnetosome biogenesis, whether in terms...