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Kong WW, Zhu Y, Zhao HR, Du K, Zhou RQ, Li B, Yang F, Hou P, Huang XH, Chen Y, Wang YC, Sun F, Jiang YL, Zhou CZ. Cryo-electron tomography reveals the packaging pattern of RuBisCOs in Synechococcus β-carboxysome. Structure 2024:S0969-2126(24)00184-9. [PMID: 38823379 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Carboxysomes are large self-assembled microcompartments that serve as the central machinery of a CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM). Biogenesis of carboxysome requires the fine organization of thousands of individual proteins; however, the packaging pattern of internal RuBisCOs remains largely unknown. Here we purified the intact β-carboxysomes from Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and identified the protein components by mass spectrometry. Cryo-electron tomography combined with subtomogram averaging revealed the general organization pattern of internal RuBisCOs, in which the adjacent RuBisCOs are mainly arranged in three distinct manners: head-to-head, head-to-side, and side-by-side. The RuBisCOs in the outermost layer are regularly aligned along the shell, the majority of which directly interact with the shell. Moreover, statistical analysis enabled us to propose an ideal packaging model of RuBisCOs in the β-carboxysome. These results provide new insights into the biogenesis of β-carboxysomes and also advance our understanding of the efficient carbon fixation functionality of carboxysomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Wen Kong
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yun Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Heng-Rui Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Kang Du
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Rui-Qian Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Bo Li
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Feng Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Pu Hou
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xia-He Huang
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yuxing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Ying-Chun Wang
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Fei Sun
- National Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Yong-Liang Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Cong-Zhao Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
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2
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Zhou RQ, Jiang YL, Li H, Hou P, Kong WW, Deng JX, Chen Y, Zhou CZ, Zeng Q. Structure and assembly of the α-carboxysome in the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:661-672. [PMID: 38589484 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01660-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Carboxysomes are bacterial microcompartments that encapsulate the enzymes RuBisCO and carbonic anhydrase in a proteinaceous shell to enhance the efficiency of photosynthetic carbon fixation. The self-assembly principles of the intact carboxysome remain elusive. Here we purified α-carboxysomes from Prochlorococcus and examined their intact structures using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to solve the basic principles of their shell construction and internal RuBisCO organization. The 4.2 Å icosahedral-like shell structure reveals 24 CsoS1 hexamers on each facet and one CsoS4A pentamer at each vertex. RuBisCOs are organized into three concentric layers within the shell, consisting of 72, 32 and up to 4 RuBisCOs at the outer, middle and inner layers, respectively. We uniquely show how full-length and shorter forms of the scaffolding protein CsoS2 bind to the inner surface of the shell via repetitive motifs in the middle and C-terminal regions. Combined with previous reports, we propose a concomitant 'outside-in' assembly principle of α-carboxysomes: the inner surface of the self-assembled shell is reinforced by the middle and C-terminal motifs of the scaffolding protein, while the free N-terminal motifs cluster to recruit RuBisCO in concentric, three-layered spherical arrangements. These new insights into the coordinated assembly of α-carboxysomes may guide the rational design and repurposing of carboxysome structures for improving plant photosynthetic efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Qian Zhou
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yong-Liang Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Haofu Li
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pu Hou
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wen-Wen Kong
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jia-Xin Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yuxing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Cong-Zhao Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Qinglu Zeng
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.
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3
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Li T, Chang P, Chen W, Shi Z, Xue C, Dykes GF, Huang F, Wang Q, Liu LN. Nanoengineering Carboxysome Shells for Protein Cages with Programmable Cargo Targeting. ACS NANO 2024; 18:7473-7484. [PMID: 38326220 PMCID: PMC10938918 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c11559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Protein nanocages have emerged as promising candidates for enzyme immobilization and cargo delivery in biotechnology and nanotechnology. Carboxysomes are natural proteinaceous organelles in cyanobacteria and proteobacteria and have exhibited great potential in creating versatile nanocages for a wide range of applications given their intrinsic characteristics of self-assembly, cargo encapsulation, permeability, and modularity. However, how to program intact carboxysome shells with specific docking sites for tunable and efficient cargo loading is a key question in the rational design and engineering of carboxysome-based nanostructures. Here, we generate a range of synthetically engineered nanocages with site-directed cargo loading based on an α-carboxysome shell in conjunction with SpyTag/SpyCatcher and Coiled-coil protein coupling systems. The systematic analysis demonstrates that the cargo-docking sites and capacities of the carboxysome shell-based protein nanocages could be precisely modulated by selecting specific anchoring systems and shell protein domains. Our study provides insights into the encapsulation principles of the α-carboxysome and establishes a solid foundation for the bioengineering and manipulation of nanostructures capable of capturing cargos and molecules with exceptional efficiency and programmability, thereby enabling applications in catalysis, delivery, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianpei Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of
Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
| | - Ping Chang
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
| | - Weixian Chen
- State
Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of
Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Zhaoyang Shi
- State
Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of
Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Chunling Xue
- State
Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of
Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Gregory F. Dykes
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
| | - Fang Huang
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
| | - Qiang Wang
- State
Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of
Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
- MOE
Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science
Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System & College
of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University
of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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Trettel DS, Pacheco SL, Laskie AK, Gonzalez-Esquer CR. Modeling bacterial microcompartment architectures for enhanced cyanobacterial carbon fixation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1346759. [PMID: 38425792 PMCID: PMC10902431 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1346759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The carboxysome is a bacterial microcompartment (BMC) which plays a central role in the cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating mechanism. These proteinaceous structures consist of an outer protein shell that partitions Rubisco and carbonic anhydrase from the rest of the cytosol, thereby providing a favorable microenvironment that enhances carbon fixation. The modular nature of carboxysomal architectures makes them attractive for a variety of biotechnological applications such as carbon capture and utilization. In silico approaches, such as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, can support future carboxysome redesign efforts by providing new spatio-temporal insights on their structure and function beyond in vivo experimental limitations. However, specific computational studies on carboxysomes are limited. Fortunately, all BMC (including the carboxysome) are highly structurally conserved which allows for practical inferences to be made between classes. Here, we review simulations on BMC architectures which shed light on (1) permeation events through the shell and (2) assembly pathways. These models predict the biophysical properties surrounding the central pore in BMC-H shell subunits, which in turn dictate the efficiency of substrate diffusion. Meanwhile, simulations on BMC assembly demonstrate that assembly pathway is largely dictated kinetically by cargo interactions while final morphology is dependent on shell factors. Overall, these findings are contextualized within the wider experimental BMC literature and framed within the opportunities for carboxysome redesign for biomanufacturing and enhanced carbon fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Trettel
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Microbial and Biome Sciences Group, Los Alamos, NM, United States
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Ni T, Jiang Q, Ng PC, Shen J, Dou H, Zhu Y, Radecke J, Dykes GF, Huang F, Liu LN, Zhang P. Intrinsically disordered CsoS2 acts as a general molecular thread for α-carboxysome shell assembly. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5512. [PMID: 37679318 PMCID: PMC10484944 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41211-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Carboxysomes are a paradigm of self-assembling proteinaceous organelles found in nature, offering compartmentalisation of enzymes and pathways to enhance carbon fixation. In α-carboxysomes, the disordered linker protein CsoS2 plays an essential role in carboxysome assembly and Rubisco encapsulation. Its mechanism of action, however, is not fully understood. Here we synthetically engineer α-carboxysome shells using minimal shell components and determine cryoEM structures of these to decipher the principle of shell assembly and encapsulation. The structures reveal that the intrinsically disordered CsoS2 C-terminus is well-structured and acts as a universal "molecular thread" stitching through multiple shell protein interfaces. We further uncover in CsoS2 a highly conserved repetitive key interaction motif, [IV]TG, which is critical to the shell assembly and architecture. Our study provides a general mechanism for the CsoS2-governed carboxysome shell assembly and cargo encapsulation and further advances synthetic engineering of carboxysomes for diverse biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ni
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Qiuyao Jiang
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Pei Cing Ng
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Juan Shen
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Hao Dou
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Yanan Zhu
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Julika Radecke
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Gregory F Dykes
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Fang Huang
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK.
- College of Marine Life Sciences, and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK.
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
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