1
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Sutter M, Utschig LM, Niklas J, Paul S, Kahan DN, Gupta S, Poluektov OG, Ferlez BH, Tefft NM, TerAvest MA, Hickey DP, Vermaas JV, Ralston CY, Kerfeld CA. Electrochemical cofactor recycling of bacterial microcompartments. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.15.603600. [PMID: 39071365 PMCID: PMC11275729 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.15.603600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are prokaryotic organelles that consist of a protein shell which sequesters metabolic reactions in its interior. While most of the substrates and products are relatively small and can permeate the shell, many of the encapsulated enzymes require cofactors that must be regenerated inside. We have analyzed the occurrence of an enzyme previously assigned as a cobalamin (vitamin B12) reductase and, curiously, found it in many unrelated BMC types that do not employ B12 cofactors. We propose NAD+ regeneration as a new function of this enzyme and name it MNdh, for Metabolosome NADH dehydrogenase. Its partner shell protein BMC-TSE assists in passing the generated electrons to the outside. We support this hypothesis with bioinformatic analysis, functional assays, EPR spectroscopy, protein voltammetry and structural modeling verified with X-ray footprinting. This discovery represents a new paradigm for the BMC field, identifying a new, widely occurring route for cofactor recycling and a new function for the shell as separating redox environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Sutter
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lisa M. Utschig
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Jens Niklas
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Sathi Paul
- Molecular Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Darren N. Kahan
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of California; Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sayan Gupta
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Oleg G. Poluektov
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Bryan H. Ferlez
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Nicholas M. Tefft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Michaela A. TerAvest
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - David P. Hickey
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Josh V. Vermaas
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Corie Y. Ralston
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Molecular Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Cheryl A. Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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2
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Lucius S, Hagemann M. The primary carbon metabolism in cyanobacteria and its regulation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1417680. [PMID: 39036361 PMCID: PMC11257934 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1417680] [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: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are the only prokaryotes capable of performing oxygenic photosynthesis. Many cyanobacterial strains can live in different trophic modes, ranging from photoautotrophic and heterotrophic to mixotrophic growth. However, the regulatory mechanisms allowing a flexible switch between these lifestyles are poorly understood. As anabolic fixation of CO2 in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle and catabolic sugar-degradation pathways share intermediates and enzymatic capacity, a tight regulatory network is required to enable simultaneous opposed metabolic fluxes. The Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway was recently predicted as one glycolytic route, which cooperates with other pathways in glycogen breakdown. Despite low carbon flux through the ED pathway, metabolite analyses of mutants deficient in the ED pathway revealed a distinct phenotype pointing at a strong regulatory impact of this route. The small Cp12 protein downregulates the CBB cycle in darkness by inhibiting phosphoribulokinase and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. New results of metabolomic and redox level analyses on strains with Cp12 variants extend the known role of Cp12 regulation towards the acclimation to external glucose supply under diurnal conditions as well as to fluctuations in CO2 levels in the light. Moreover, carbon and nitrogen metabolism are closely linked to maintain an essential C/N homeostasis. The small protein PirC was shown to be an important regulator of phosphoglycerate mutase, which identified this enzyme as central branching point for carbon allocation from CBB cycle towards lower glycolysis. Altered metabolite levels in the mutant ΔpirC during nitrogen starvation experiments confirm this regulatory mechanism. The elucidation of novel mechanisms regulating carbon allocation at crucial metabolic branching points could identify ways for targeted redirection of carbon flow towards desired compounds, and thus help to further establish cyanobacteria as green cell factories for biotechnological applications with concurrent utilization of sunlight and CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Hagemann
- Department Plant Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
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3
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Trettel DS, Kerfeld CA, Gonzalez-Esquer CR. Dynamic structural determinants in bacterial microcompartment shells. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 80:102497. [PMID: 38909546 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are polyhedral structures that segregate enzymatic cargo from the cytosol via encapsulation within a protein shell. Unlike other biological polyhedra, such as viral capsids and encapsulins, BMC shells can exhibit a highly advantageous structural and functional plasticity, conforming to a variety of anabolic (CO2 fixation in carboxysomes) and catabolic (nutrient assimilation in metabolosomes) roles. Consequently, understanding the subunit properties and associated protein-protein interaction processes that guide shell assembly and function is a necessary step to fully harness BMCs as modular, biotechnological nanomachines. Here, we describe the recent insights into the dynamics of structural features of the key BMC domain (Pfam00936)-containing proteins, which serve as a structural template for BMC-H and BMC-T shell building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Trettel
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Microbial and Biome Sciences group, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Cesar R Gonzalez-Esquer
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Microbial and Biome Sciences group, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
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4
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Raza S, Sarkar D, Chan LJG, Mae J, Sutter M, Petzold CJ, Kerfeld CA, Ralston CY, Gupta S, Vermaas JV. Comparative Pore Structure and Dynamics for Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Protein Assemblies in Sheets or Shells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.584231. [PMID: 38559214 PMCID: PMC10980050 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein-bound organelles found in some bacteria which encapsulate enzymes for enhanced catalytic activity. These compartments spatially sequester enzymes within semi-permeable shell proteins, analogous to many membrane-bound organelles. The shell proteins assemble into multimeric tiles; hexamers, trimers, and pentamers, and these tiles self-assemble into larger assemblies with icosahedral symmetry. While icosahedral shells are the predominant form in vivo, the tiles can also form nanoscale cylinders or sheets. The individual multimeric tiles feature central pores that are key to regulating transport across the protein shell. Our primary interest is to quantify pore shape changes in response to alternative component morphologies at the nanoscale. We use molecular modeling tools to develop atomically detailed models for both planar sheets of tiles and curved structures representative of the complete shells found in vivo. Subsequently, these models were animated using classical molecular dynamics simulations. From the resulting trajectories, we analyzed overall structural stability, water accessibility to individual residues, water residence time, and pore geometry for the hexameric and trimeric protein tiles from the Haliangium ochraceum model BMC shell. These exhaustive analyses suggest no substantial variation in pore structure or solvent accessibility between the flat and curved shell geometries. We additionally compare our analysis to hydroxyl radical footprinting data to serve as a check against our simulation results, highlighting specific residues where water molecules are bound for a long time. Although with little variation in morphology or water interaction, we propose that the planar and capsular morphology can be used interchangeably when studying permeability through BMC pores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Raza
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824
| | - Daipayan Sarkar
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824
| | - Leanne Jade G Chan
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Current address: Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, CA 94080
| | - Joshua Mae
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824
| | - Markus Sutter
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA 94720
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824
- Department Of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA 94720
| | - Corie Y Ralston
- Molecular Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA 94720
| | - Sayan Gupta
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA 94720
| | - Josh V Vermaas
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824
- Department Of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824
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5
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Trettel DS, Neale C, Zhao M, Gnanakaran S, Gonzalez-Esquer CR. Monatomic ions influence substrate permeation across bacterial microcompartment shells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15738. [PMID: 37735196 PMCID: PMC10514305 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42688-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein organelles consisting of an inner enzymatic core encased within a selectively permeable shell. BMC shells are modular, tractable architectures that can be repurposed with new interior enzymes for biomanufacturing purposes. The permeability of BMC shells is function-specific and regulated by biophysical properties of the shell subunits, especially its pores. We hypothesized that ions may interact with pore residues in a manner that influences the substrate permeation process. In vitro activity comparisons between native and broken BMCs demonstrated that increasing NaCl negatively affects permeation rates. Molecular dynamics simulations of the dominant shell protein (BMC-H) revealed that chloride ions preferentially occupy the positive pore, hindering substrate permeation, while sodium cations remain excluded. Overall, these results demonstrate that shell properties influence ion permeability and leverages the integration of experimental and computational techniques to improve our understanding of BMC shells towards their repurposing for biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Trettel
- Biosciences Division, Microbial and Biome Sciences Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Chris Neale
- Theoretical Division, Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Mingfei Zhao
- Theoretical Division, Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - S Gnanakaran
- Theoretical Division, Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
| | - C Raul Gonzalez-Esquer
- Biosciences Division, Microbial and Biome Sciences Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
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6
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Raba DA, Kerfeld CA. The potential of bacterial microcompartment architectures for phytonanotechnology. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2022; 14:700-710. [PMID: 35855583 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The application of nanotechnology to plants, termed phytonanotechnology, has the potential to revolutionize plant research and agricultural production. Advancements in phytonanotechnology will allow for the time-controlled and target-specific release of bioactive compounds and agrochemicals to alter and optimize conventional plant production systems. A diverse range of engineered nanoparticles with unique physiochemical properties is currently being investigated to determine their suitability for plants. Improvements in crop yield, disease resistance and nutrient and pesticide management are all possible using designed nanocarriers. However, despite these prospective benefits, research to thoroughly understand the precise activity, localization and potential phytotoxicity of these nanoparticles within plant systems is required. Protein-based bacterial microcompartment shell proteins that self-assemble into spherical shells, nanotubes and sheets could be of immense value for phytonanotechnology due to their ease of manipulation, multifunctionality, rapid and efficient producibility and biodegradability. In this review, we explore bacterial microcompartment-based architectures within the scope of phytonanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Raba
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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7
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Liu LN. Advances in the bacterial organelles for CO 2 fixation. Trends Microbiol 2021; 30:567-580. [PMID: 34802870 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Carboxysomes are a family of bacterial microcompartments (BMCs), present in all cyanobacteria and some proteobacteria, which encapsulate the primary CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, within a virus-like polyhedral protein shell. Carboxysomes provide significantly elevated levels of CO2 around Rubisco to maximize carboxylation and reduce wasteful photorespiration, thus functioning as the central CO2-fixation organelles of bacterial CO2-concentration mechanisms. Their intriguing architectural features allow carboxysomes to make a vast contribution to carbon assimilation on a global scale. In this review, we discuss recent research progress that provides new insights into the mechanisms of how carboxysomes are assembled and functionally maintained in bacteria and recent advances in synthetic biology to repurpose the metabolic module in diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK; College of Marine Life Sciences, and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, 266003 Qingdao, China.
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8
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Melnicki MR, Sutter M, Kerfeld CA. Evolutionary relationships among shell proteins of carboxysomes and metabolosomes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 63:1-9. [PMID: 34098411 PMCID: PMC8525121 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are self-assembling prokaryotic organelles which encapsulate enzymes within a polyhedral protein shell. The shells are comprised of only two structural modules, distinct domains that form pentagonal and hexagonal building blocks, which occupy the vertices and facets, respectively. As all BMC loci encode at least one hexamer-forming and one pentamer-forming protein, the evolutionary history of BMCs can be interrogated from the perspective of their shells. Here, we discuss how structures of intact shells and detailed phylogenies of their building blocks from a recent phylogenomic survey distinguish families of these domains and reveal clade-specific structural features. These features suggest distinct functional roles that recur across diverse BMCs. For example, it is clear that carboxysomes independently arose twice from metabolosomes, yet the principles of shell assembly are remarkably conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Melnicki
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy (MSU-DOE) Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Markus Sutter
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy (MSU-DOE) Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division and Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy (MSU-DOE) Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division and Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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9
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Bobik TA, Stewart AM. Selective molecular transport across the protein shells of bacterial microcompartments. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 62:76-83. [PMID: 34087617 PMCID: PMC8286307 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments are widespread organelles that play important roles in the environment and are associated with a number of human diseases. A key feature of bacterial MCPs is a selectively permeable protein shell that mediates the movement of substrates, products and cofactors in and out. Here we discuss current knowledge of selective transport across the protein shells of bacterial MCPs, including mechanisms, regulation and unanswered questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Bobik
- The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Andrew M Stewart
- The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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10
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Sutter M, Melnicki MR, Schulz F, Woyke T, Kerfeld CA. A catalog of the diversity and ubiquity of bacterial microcompartments. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3809. [PMID: 34155212 PMCID: PMC8217296 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24126-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are organelles that segregate segments of metabolic pathways which are incompatible with surrounding metabolism. BMCs consist of a selectively permeable shell, composed of three types of structurally conserved proteins, together with sequestered enzymes that vary among functionally distinct BMCs. Genes encoding shell proteins are typically clustered with those for the encapsulated enzymes. Here, we report that the number of identifiable BMC loci has increased twenty-fold since the last comprehensive census of 2014, and the number of distinct BMC types has doubled. The new BMC types expand the range of compartmentalized catalysis and suggest that there is more BMC biochemistry yet to be discovered. Our comprehensive catalog of BMCs provides a framework for their identification, correlation with bacterial niche adaptation, experimental characterization, and development of BMC-based nanoarchitectures for biomedical and bioengineering applications. Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are organelles consisting of a protein shell in which certain metabolic reactions take place separated from the cytoplasm. Here, Sutter et al. present a comprehensive catalog of BMC loci, substantially expanding the number of known BMCs and describing distinct types and compartmentalized reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Sutter
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.,MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Matthew R Melnicki
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Frederik Schulz
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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11
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Recent structural insights into bacterial microcompartment shells. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 62:51-60. [PMID: 34058518 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments are organelle-like structures that enhance a variety of metabolic functions in diverse bacteria. Composed entirely of proteins, thousands of homologous hexameric shell proteins tesselate to form facets while pentameric proteins form the vertices of a polyhedral shell that encapsulates various enzymes, substrates and cofactors. Recent structural data have highlighted nuanced variations in the sequence and topology of microcompartment shell proteins, emphasizing how variation and specialization enable the construction of complex molecular machines. Recent studies engineering synthetic miniaturized microcompartment shells provide additional frameworks for dissecting principles of microcompartment structure and assembly. This review updates our current understanding of bacterial microcompartment shell proteins, providing new insights and highlighting outstanding questions.
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12
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Pokhrel A, Kang SY, Schmidt-Dannert C. Ethanolamine bacterial microcompartments: from structure, function studies to bioengineering applications. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 62:28-37. [PMID: 34034083 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Two decades of structural and functional studies have revealed functions, structures and diversity of bacterial microcompartments. The protein-based organelles encapsulate diverse metabolic pathways in semipermeable, icosahedral or pseudo-icosahedral shells. One of the first discovered and characterized microcompartments are those involved in ethanolamine degradation. This review will summarize their function and assembly along with shared and unique characteristics with other microcompartment types. The modularity and self-assembling properties of their shell proteins make them valuable targets for bioengineering. Advances and prospects for shell protein engineering in vivo and in vitro for synthetic biology and biotechnology applications will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaya Pokhrel
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Sun-Young Kang
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Claudia Schmidt-Dannert
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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13
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Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) confine a diverse array of metabolic reactions within a selectively permeable protein shell, allowing for specialized biochemistry that would be less efficient or altogether impossible without compartmentalization. BMCs play critical roles in carbon fixation, carbon source utilization, and pathogenesis. Despite their prevalence and importance in bacterial metabolism, little is known about BMC “homeostasis,” a term we use here to encompass BMC assembly, composition, size, copy-number, maintenance, turnover, positioning, and ultimately, function in the cell. The carbon-fixing carboxysome is one of the most well-studied BMCs with regard to mechanisms of self-assembly and subcellular organization. In this minireview, we focus on the only known BMC positioning system to date—the maintenance of carboxysome distribution (Mcd) system, which spatially organizes carboxysomes. We describe the two-component McdAB system and its proposed diffusion-ratchet mechanism for carboxysome positioning. We then discuss the prevalence of McdAB systems among carboxysome-containing bacteria and highlight recent evidence suggesting how liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) may play critical roles in carboxysome homeostasis. We end with an outline of future work on the carboxysome distribution system and a perspective on how other BMCs may be spatially regulated. We anticipate that a deeper understanding of BMC organization, including nontraditional homeostasis mechanisms involving LLPS and ATP-driven organization, is on the horizon.
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14
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Orthwein T, Scholl J, Spät P, Lucius S, Koch M, Macek B, Hagemann M, Forchhammer K. The novel P II-interactor PirC identifies phosphoglycerate mutase as key control point of carbon storage metabolism in cyanobacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2019988118. [PMID: 33526690 PMCID: PMC8018021 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019988118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen limitation imposes a major transition in the lifestyle of nondiazotrophic cyanobacteria that is controlled by a complex interplay of regulatory factors involving the pervasive signal processor PII Immediately upon nitrogen limitation, newly fixed carbon is redirected toward glycogen synthesis. How the metabolic switch for diverting fixed carbon toward the synthesis of glycogen or of cellular building blocks is operated was so far poorly understood. Here, using the nondiazotrophic cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 as model system, we identified a novel PII interactor, the product of the sll0944 gene, which we named PirC. We show that PirC binds to and inhibits the activity of 2,3-phosphoglycerate-independent phosphoglycerate mutase (PGAM), the enzyme that deviates newly fixed CO2 toward lower glycolysis. The binding of PirC to either PII or PGAM is tuned by the metabolite 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG), which accumulates upon nitrogen starvation. In these conditions, the high levels of 2-OG dissociate the PirC-PII complex to promote PirC binding to and inhibition of PGAM. Accordingly, a PirC-deficient mutant showed strongly reduced glycogen levels upon nitrogen deprivation, whereas polyhydroxybutyrate granules were overaccumulated compared to wild-type. Metabolome analysis revealed an imbalance in 3-phosphoglycerate to pyruvate levels in the pirC mutant, confirming that PirC controls the carbon flux in cyanobacteria via mutually exclusive interaction with either PII or PGAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Orthwein
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Scholl
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Spät
- Department of Quantitative Proteomics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Lucius
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Plant Physiology Department, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Moritz Koch
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Boris Macek
- Department of Quantitative Proteomics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Martin Hagemann
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Plant Physiology Department, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Karl Forchhammer
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
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15
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Stewart AM, Stewart KL, Yeates TO, Bobik TA. Advances in the World of Bacterial Microcompartments. Trends Biochem Sci 2021; 46:406-416. [PMID: 33446424 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) are extremely large (100-400 nm) and diverse proteinaceous organelles that compartmentalize multistep metabolic pathways, increasing their efficiency and sequestering toxic and/or volatile intermediates. This review highlights recent studies that have expanded our understanding of the diversity, structure, function, and potential biotechnological uses of MCPs. Several new types of MCPs have been identified and characterized revealing new functions and potential new associations with human disease. Recent structural studies of MCP proteins and recombinant MCP shells have provided new insights into MCP assembly and mechanisms and raised new questions about MCP structure. We also discuss recent work on biotechnology applications that use MCP principles to develop nanobioreactors, nanocontainers, and molecular scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Stewart
- The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Katie L Stewart
- The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Todd O Yeates
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Thomas A Bobik
- The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
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16
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Molecular simulations unravel the molecular principles that mediate selective permeability of carboxysome shell protein. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17501. [PMID: 33060756 PMCID: PMC7562746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74536-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are nanoscale proteinaceous organelles that encapsulate enzymes from the cytoplasm using an icosahedral protein shell that resembles viral capsids. Of particular interest are the carboxysomes (CBs), which sequester the CO2-fixing enzymes ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) to enhance carbon assimilation. The carboxysome shell serves as a semi-permeable barrier for passage of metabolites in and out of the carboxysome to enhance CO2 fixation. How the protein shell directs influx and efflux of molecules in an effective manner has remained elusive. Here we use molecular dynamics and umbrella sampling calculations to determine the free-energy profiles of the metabolic substrates, bicarbonate, CO2 and ribulose bisphosphate and the product 3-phosphoglycerate associated with their transition through the major carboxysome shell protein CcmK2. We elucidate the electrostatic charge-based permeability and key amino acid residues of CcmK2 functioning in mediating molecular transit through the central pore. Conformational changes of the loops forming the central pore may also be required for transit of specific metabolites. The importance of these in-silico findings is validated experimentally by site-directed mutagenesis of the key CcmK2 residue Serine 39. This study provides insight into the mechanism that mediates molecular transport through the shells of carboxysomes, applicable to other BMCs. It also offers a predictive approach to investigate and manipulate the shell permeability, with the intent of engineering BMC-based metabolic modules for new functions in synthetic biology.
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17
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Stewart KL, Stewart AM, Bobik TA. Prokaryotic Organelles: Bacterial Microcompartments in E. coli and Salmonella. EcoSal Plus 2020; 9:10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0025-2019. [PMID: 33030141 PMCID: PMC7552817 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0025-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (MCPs) are proteinaceous organelles consisting of a metabolic pathway encapsulated within a selectively permeable protein shell. Hundreds of species of bacteria produce MCPs of at least nine different types, and MCP metabolism is associated with enteric pathogenesis, cancer, and heart disease. This review focuses chiefly on the four types of catabolic MCPs (metabolosomes) found in Escherichia coli and Salmonella: the propanediol utilization (pdu), ethanolamine utilization (eut), choline utilization (cut), and glycyl radical propanediol (grp) MCPs. Although the great majority of work done on catabolic MCPs has been carried out with Salmonella and E. coli, research outside the group is mentioned where necessary for a comprehensive understanding. Salient characteristics found across MCPs are discussed, including enzymatic reactions and shell composition, with particular attention paid to key differences between classes of MCPs. We also highlight relevant research on the dynamic processes of MCP assembly, protein targeting, and the mechanisms that underlie selective permeability. Lastly, we discuss emerging biotechnology applications based on MCP principles and point out challenges, unanswered questions, and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L. Stewart
- The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA 50011
| | - Andrew M. Stewart
- The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA 50011
| | - Thomas A. Bobik
- The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA 50011
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18
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Hennacy JH, Jonikas MC. Prospects for Engineering Biophysical CO 2 Concentrating Mechanisms into Land Plants to Enhance Yields. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 71:461-485. [PMID: 32151155 PMCID: PMC7845915 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-081519-040100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Although cyanobacteria and algae represent a small fraction of the biomass of all primary producers, their photosynthetic activity accounts for roughly half of the daily CO2 fixation that occurs on Earth. These microorganisms are able to accomplish this feat by enhancing the activity of the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco using biophysical CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). Biophysical CCMs operate by concentrating bicarbonate and converting it into CO2 in a compartment that houses Rubisco (in contrast with other CCMs that concentrate CO2 via an organic intermediate, such as malate in the case of C4 CCMs). This activity provides Rubisco with a high concentration of its substrate, thereby increasing its reaction rate. The genetic engineering of a biophysical CCM into land plants is being pursued as a strategy to increase crop yields. This review focuses on the progress toward understanding the molecular components of cyanobacterial and algal CCMs, as well as recent advances toward engineering these components into land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica H Hennacy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; ,
| | - Martin C Jonikas
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; ,
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19
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Decoding the stoichiometric composition and organisation of bacterial metabolosomes. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1976. [PMID: 32332738 PMCID: PMC7181861 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15888-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Some enteric bacteria including Salmonella have evolved the propanediol-utilising microcompartment (Pdu MCP), a specialised proteinaceous organelle that is essential for 1,2-propanediol degradation and enteric pathogenesis. Pdu MCPs are a family of bacterial microcompartments that are self-assembled from hundreds of proteins within the bacterial cytosol. Here, we seek a comprehensive understanding of the stoichiometric composition and organisation of Pdu MCPs. We obtain accurate stoichiometry of shell proteins and internal enzymes of the natural Pdu MCP by QconCAT-driven quantitative mass spectrometry. Genetic deletion of the major shell protein and absolute quantification reveal the stoichiometric and structural remodelling of metabolically functional Pdu MCPs. Decoding the precise protein stoichiometry allows us to develop an organisational model of the Pdu metabolosome. The structural insights into the Pdu MCP are critical for both delineating the general principles underlying bacterial organelle formation, structural robustness and function, and repurposing natural microcompartments using synthetic biology for biotechnological applications. Enteric pathogens such as Salmonella depend on propanediol-utilising microcompartments (Pdu MCP), which self-assemble from cytosolic proteins. Using mass spectrometry-based absolute quantification, the authors here define the protein stoichiometry and propose an organizational model of a Salmonella Pdu MCP.
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20
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Kirst H, Kerfeld CA. Bacterial microcompartments: catalysis-enhancing metabolic modules for next generation metabolic and biomedical engineering. BMC Biol 2019; 17:79. [PMID: 31601225 PMCID: PMC6787980 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0691-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cells have long been thought to be simple cells with little spatial organization, but recent research has shown that they exhibit a remarkable degree of subcellular differentiation. Indeed, bacteria even have organelles such as magnetosomes for sensing magnetic fields or gas vesicles controlling cell buoyancy. A functionally diverse group of bacterial organelles are the bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) that fulfill specialized metabolic needs. Modification and reengineering of these BMCs enable innovative approaches for metabolic engineering and nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henning Kirst
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.,Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. .,Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 603 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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21
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Sun Y, Wollman AJM, Huang F, Leake MC, Liu LN. Single-Organelle Quantification Reveals Stoichiometric and Structural Variability of Carboxysomes Dependent on the Environment. THE PLANT CELL 2019; 31:1648-1664. [PMID: 31048338 PMCID: PMC6635877 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.18.00787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The carboxysome is a complex, proteinaceous organelle that plays essential roles in carbon assimilation in cyanobacteria and chemoautotrophs. It comprises hundreds of protein homologs that self-assemble in space to form an icosahedral structure. Despite its significance in enhancing CO2 fixation and potentials in bioengineering applications, the formation of carboxysomes and their structural composition, stoichiometry, and adaptation to cope with environmental changes remain unclear. Here we use live-cell single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, coupled with confocal and electron microscopy, to decipher the absolute protein stoichiometry and organizational variability of single β-carboxysomes in the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942. We determine the physiological abundance of individual building blocks within the icosahedral carboxysome. We further find that the protein stoichiometry, diameter, localization, and mobility patterns of carboxysomes in cells depend sensitively on the microenvironmental levels of CO2 and light intensity during cell growth, revealing cellular strategies of dynamic regulation. These findings, also applicable to other bacterial microcompartments and macromolecular self-assembling systems, advance our knowledge of the principles that mediate carboxysome formation and structural modulation. It will empower rational design and construction of entire functional metabolic factories in heterologous organisms, for example crop plants, to boost photosynthesis and agricultural productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Sun
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Adam J M Wollman
- Biological Physical Sciences Institute, Departments of Physics and Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Fang Huang
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Mark C Leake
- Biological Physical Sciences Institute, Departments of Physics and Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
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22
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Bio-engineering of bacterial microcompartments: a mini review. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:765-777. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20170564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractBacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein-bound prokaryotic organelles, discovered in cyanobacteria more than 60 years ago. Functionally similar to eukaryotic cellular organelles, BMCs compartment metabolic activities in the cytoplasm, foremost to increase local enzyme concentration and prevent toxic intermediates from damaging the cytosolic content. Advanced knowledge of the functional and structural properties of multiple types of BMCs, particularly over the last 10 years, have highlighted design principles of microcompartments. This has prompted new research into their potential to function as programmable synthetic nano-bioreactors and novel bio-materials with biotechnological and medical applications. Moreover, due to the involvement of microcompartments in bacterial pathogenesis and human health, BMCs have begun to gain attention as potential novel drug targets. This mini-review gives an overview of important synthetic biology developments in the bioengineering of BMCs and a perspective on future directions in the field.
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23
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Greber BJ, Sutter M, Kerfeld CA. The Plasticity of Molecular Interactions Governs Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Assembly. Structure 2019; 27:749-763.e4. [PMID: 30833088 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2019.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are composed of an enzymatic core encapsulated by a selectively permeable protein shell that enhances catalytic efficiency. Many pathogenic bacteria derive competitive advantages from their BMC-based catabolism, implicating BMCs as drug targets. BMC shells are of interest for bioengineering due to their diverse and selective permeability properties and because they self-assemble. A complete understanding of shell composition and organization is a prerequisite for biotechnological applications. Here, we report the cryoelectron microscopy structure of a BMC shell at 3.0-Å resolution, using an image-processing strategy that allowed us to determine the previously uncharacterized structural details of the interactions formed by the BMC-TS and BMC-TD shell subunits in the context of the assembled shell. We found unexpected structural plasticity among these interactions, resulting in distinct shell populations assembled from varying numbers of the BMC-TS and BMC-TD subunits. We discuss the implications of these findings on shell assembly and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basil J Greber
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Markus Sutter
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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24
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Faulkner M, Zhao LS, Barrett S, Liu LN. Self-Assembly Stability and Variability of Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Proteins in Response to the Environmental Change. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2019; 14:54. [PMID: 30747342 PMCID: PMC6372710 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-019-2884-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are proteinaceous self-assembling organelles that are widespread among the prokaryotic kingdom. By segmenting key metabolic enzymes and pathways using a polyhedral shell, BMCs play essential roles in carbon assimilation, pathogenesis, and microbial ecology. The BMC shell is composed of multiple protein homologs that self-assemble to form the defined architecture. There is tremendous interest in engineering BMCs to develop new nanobioreactors and molecular scaffolds. Here, we report the quantitative characterization of the formation and self-assembly dynamics of BMC shell proteins under varying pH and salt conditions using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). We show that 400-mM salt concentration is prone to result in larger single-layered shell patches formed by shell hexamers, and a higher dynamic rate of hexamer self-assembly was observed at neutral pH. We also visualize the variability of shell proteins from hexameric assemblies to fiber-like arrays. This study advances our knowledge about the stability and variability of BMC protein self-assemblies in response to microenvironmental changes, which will inform rational design and construction of synthetic BMC structures with the capacity of remodeling their self-assembly and structural robustness. It also offers a powerful toolbox for quantitatively assessing the self-assembly and formation of BMC-based nanostructures in biotechnology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Faulkner
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB, Liverpool, UK
| | - Long-Sheng Zhao
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB, Liverpool, UK
| | - Steve Barrett
- Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZE, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB, Liverpool, UK
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25
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Sommer M, Sutter M, Gupta S, Kirst H, Turmo A, Lechno-Yossef S, Burton RL, Saechao C, Sloan NB, Cheng X, Chan LJG, Petzold CJ, Fuentes-Cabrera M, Ralston CY, Kerfeld CA. Heterohexamers Formed by CcmK3 and CcmK4 Increase the Complexity of Beta Carboxysome Shells. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 179:156-167. [PMID: 30389783 PMCID: PMC6324227 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.01190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) encapsulate enzymes within a selectively permeable, proteinaceous shell. Carboxysomes are BMCs containing ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase and carbonic anhydrase that enhance carbon dioxide fixation. The carboxysome shell consists of three structurally characterized protein types, each named after the oligomer they form: BMC-H (hexamer), BMC-P (pentamer), and BMC-T (trimer). These three protein types form cyclic homooligomers with pores at the center of symmetry that enable metabolite transport across the shell. Carboxysome shells contain multiple BMC-H paralogs, each with distinctly conserved residues surrounding the pore, which are assumed to be associated with specific metabolites. We studied the regulation of β-carboxysome shell composition by investigating the BMC-H genes ccmK3 and ccmK4 situated in a locus remote from other carboxysome genes. We made single and double deletion mutants of ccmK3 and ccmK4 in Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 and show that, unlike CcmK3, CcmK4 is necessary for optimal growth. In contrast to other CcmK proteins, CcmK3 does not form homohexamers; instead CcmK3 forms heterohexamers with CcmK4 with a 1:2 stoichiometry. The CcmK3-CcmK4 heterohexamers form stacked dodecamers in a pH-dependent manner. Our results indicate that CcmK3-CcmK4 heterohexamers potentially expand the range of permeability properties of metabolite channels in carboxysome shells. Moreover, the observed facultative formation of dodecamers in solution suggests that carboxysome shell permeability may be dynamically attenuated by "capping" facet-embedded hexamers with a second hexamer. Because β-carboxysomes are obligately expressed, heterohexamer formation and capping could provide a rapid and reversible means to alter metabolite flux across the shell in response to environmental/growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Sommer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Markus Sutter
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Sayan Gupta
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Henning Kirst
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Aiko Turmo
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Sigal Lechno-Yossef
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Rodney L Burton
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Christine Saechao
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Nancy B Sloan
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Xiaolin Cheng
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy and Biophysics Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Leanne-Jade G Chan
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Miguel Fuentes-Cabrera
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences and Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennesse 37831
| | - Corie Y Ralston
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
- Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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26
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Ryan P, Forrester TJB, Wroblewski C, Kenney TMG, Kitova EN, Klassen JS, Kimber MS. The small RbcS-like domains of the β-carboxysome structural protein CcmM bind RubisCO at a site distinct from that binding the RbcS subunit. J Biol Chem 2018; 294:2593-2603. [PMID: 30591587 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Carboxysomes are compartments in bacterial cells that promote efficient carbon fixation by sequestering RubisCO and carbonic anhydrase within a protein shell that impedes CO2 escape. The key to assembling this protein complex is CcmM, a multidomain protein whose C-terminal region is required for RubisCO recruitment. This CcmM region is built as a series of copies (generally 3-5) of a small domain, CcmMS, joined by unstructured linkers. CcmMS domains have weak, but significant, sequence identity to RubisCO's small subunit, RbcS, suggesting that CcmM binds RubisCO by displacing RbcS. We report here the 1.35-Å structure of the first Thermosynechococcus elongatus CcmMS domain, revealing that it adopts a compact, well-defined structure that resembles that of RbcS. CcmMS, however, lacked key RbcS RubisCO-binding determinants, most notably an extended N-terminal loop. Nevertheless, individual CcmMS domains are able to bind RubisCO in vitro with 1.16 μm affinity. Two or four linked CcmMS domains did not exhibit dramatic increases in this affinity, implying that short, disordered linkers may frustrate successive CcmMS domains attempting to simultaneously bind a single RubisCO oligomer. Size-exclusion chromatography-coupled right-angled light scattering (SEC-RALS) and native MS experiments indicated that multiple CcmMS domains can bind a single RubisCO holoenzyme and, moreover, that RbcS is not released from these complexes. CcmMS bound equally tightly to a RubisCO variant in which the α/β domain of RbcS was deleted, suggesting that CcmMS binds RubisCO independently of its RbcS subunit. We propose that, instead, the electropositive CcmMS may bind to an extended electronegative pocket between RbcL dimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Ryan
- From the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada and
| | - Taylor J B Forrester
- From the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada and
| | - Charles Wroblewski
- From the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada and
| | - Tristan M G Kenney
- From the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada and
| | - Elena N Kitova
- Alberta Glycomics Centre and Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - John S Klassen
- Alberta Glycomics Centre and Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Matthew S Kimber
- From the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada and
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27
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Hagen A, Sutter M, Sloan N, Kerfeld CA. Programmed loading and rapid purification of engineered bacterial microcompartment shells. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2881. [PMID: 30038362 PMCID: PMC6056538 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05162-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are selectively permeable proteinaceous organelles which encapsulate segments of metabolic pathways across bacterial phyla. They consist of an enzymatic core surrounded by a protein shell composed of multiple distinct proteins. Despite great potential in varied biotechnological applications, engineering efforts have been stymied by difficulties in their isolation and characterization and a dearth of robust methods for programming cores and shell permeability. We address these challenges by functionalizing shell proteins with affinity handles, enabling facile complementation-based affinity purification (CAP) and specific cargo docking sites for efficient encapsulation via covalent-linkage (EnCo). These shell functionalizations extend our knowledge of BMC architectural principles and enable the development of minimal shell systems of precisely defined structure and composition. The generalizability of CAP and EnCo will enable their application to functionally diverse microcompartment systems to facilitate both characterization of natural functions and the development of bespoke shells for selectively compartmentalizing proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hagen
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Markus Sutter
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.,MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Nancy Sloan
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 603 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are self-assembling organelles that consist of an enzymatic core that is encapsulated by a selectively permeable protein shell. The potential to form BMCs is widespread and found across the kingdom Bacteria. BMCs have crucial roles in carbon dioxide fixation in autotrophs and the catabolism of organic substrates in heterotrophs. They contribute to the metabolic versatility of bacteria, providing a competitive advantage in specific environmental niches. Although BMCs were first visualized more than 60 years ago, it is mainly in the past decade that progress has been made in understanding their metabolic diversity and the structural basis of their assembly and function. This progress has not only heightened our understanding of their role in microbial metabolism but is also beginning to enable their use in a variety of applications in synthetic biology. In this Review, we focus on recent insights into the structure, assembly, diversity and function of BMCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A. Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Clement Aussignargues
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jan Zarzycki
- Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Fei Cai
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Markus Sutter
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Turmo A, Gonzalez-Esquer CR, Kerfeld CA. Carboxysomes: metabolic modules for CO2 fixation. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2017; 364:4082729. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnx176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Griffiths H, Meyer MT, Rickaby REM. Overcoming adversity through diversity: aquatic carbon concentrating mechanisms. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:3689-3695. [PMID: 28911058 PMCID: PMC5853259 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Howard Griffiths
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Moritz T Meyer
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
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