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Clues to the function of bacterial microcompartments from ancillary genes
Henning Kirst1, Cheryl A Kerfeld1,2,3
1Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A.
Biochemical Society Transactions
|July 1, 2021
Summary
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein shells enclosing metabolic enzymes in prokaryotes. Analyzing associated proteins suggests nucleotides are substrates for a previously unknown BMC type.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein-bound organelles found in prokaryotes.
- BMCs encapsulate enzymes for specialized metabolic pathways, with conserved protein shells and variable enzyme content.
- BMC genes are organized in loci encoding shell proteins, enzymes, and ancillary proteins for cellular integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize transcriptional regulators and permeases associated with BMC loci across diverse bacterial phyla.
- To explore how ancillary proteins inform hypotheses about BMC function and regulation.
- To investigate the substrate of an uncharacterized BMC.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a dataset comprising over 7000 BMC loci from 45 bacterial phyla.
- Examination of ligand-binding domains of associated transcriptional regulators and transmembrane proteins (permeases).
- Comparative genomics and bioinformatics approaches.
Main Results:
- Identified diverse types of transcriptional regulators and permeases linked to BMC loci.
- Highlighted gaps in understanding BMC regulation mechanisms.
- Proposed nucleotides as the likely substrate for an enigmatic BMC based on ancillary protein analysis.
Conclusions:
- Ancillary proteins, particularly regulators and permeases, provide crucial insights into BMC function and substrate specificity.
- The study advances understanding of BMC diversity and regulation.
- Nucleotides are suggested as the substrate for a previously uncharacterized BMC, opening new avenues for research.
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