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Related Concept Videos

Prokaryotic Cells01:28

Prokaryotic Cells

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Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains — Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common microorganisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize...
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Cell Inclusions01:27

Cell Inclusions

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Prokaryotic cells possess a variety of inclusions that play crucial roles in nutrient storage, metabolic processes, and environmental adaptation. These structures enable bacteria to thrive under fluctuating environmental conditions by storing essential resources and optimizing their metabolic efficiency.Carbon Storage: Poly-β-Hydroxybutyric Acid and Glycogen GranulesBacteria frequently store excess carbon in specialized granules. Poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) granules are lipid...
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Eukaryotic Compartmentalization01:37

Eukaryotic Compartmentalization

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One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal...
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Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria01:10

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Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a...
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Structure of Porins01:21

Structure of Porins

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Mitochondria, chloroplasts, and gram-negative bacteria have transmembrane, beta-barrel proteins called porins to mediate the free diffusion of ions and metabolites across the membrane. Mitochondrial porin precursors contain conserved amino acid sequences called beta signals at their C-terminal. Beta signals have a  motif of PoXGXXHyXHy (Po-Polar, X-Any amino acid, G-Glycine, Hy-LargeHydrophobic), which are crucial for precursor recognition to initiate precursor assembly. Beta-barrel...
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Nucleoid01:24

Nucleoid

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The nucleoid represents a structurally and functionally distinct region within prokaryotic cells, where the cell's DNA and associated proteins are housed. Unlike eukaryotic cells, prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus, and the nucleoid facilitates the organization and accessibility of the genetic material within this constraint. The DNA in most bacteria and archaea exists as a single, circular, double-stranded molecule that is highly compacted through supercoiling and interactions with...
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Analyzing Cellular Internalization of Nanoparticles and Bacteria by Multi-spectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
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Bacterial Nanocompartments: Structures, Functions, and Applications.

Harry Benjamin McDowell1, Egbert Hoiczyk1

  • 1School of Biosciences, The Krebs Institute, The University of Sheffieldgrid.11835.3e, Sheffield, United Kingdom.

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|October 4, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Prokaryotic cells utilize tiny structures called nanocompartments to enhance efficiency. These versatile, self-assembling compartments offer exciting potential for biotechnology applications.

Keywords:
bacterial organellecarboxysomecompartmentalizationencapsulingas vesiclemicrocompartmentnanocompartmentself-assembly

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Biotechnology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Cellular efficiency is often driven by compartmentalization, a principle well-established in eukaryotes.
  • Prokaryotic nanocompartments, typically under 100 nm, were historically difficult to detect with conventional microscopy.
  • Recent discoveries reveal these structures are widespread in prokaryotes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of prokaryotic nanocompartments.
  • To explore the biotechnological potential of these structures.
  • To identify knowledge gaps and future research challenges.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on prokaryotic nanocompartments.
  • Analysis of bioinformatics data for distribution patterns.
  • Assessment of structural and functional properties.

Main Results:

  • Prokaryotic nanocompartments are broadly distributed and characterized by small, uniform size.
  • These structures exhibit robust self-assembly, high stability, and biocompatibility.
  • Their large cargo capacity makes them suitable for various applications.

Conclusions:

  • Prokaryotic nanocompartments represent a significant area of cellular organization with vast biotechnological promise.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate their functions and optimize their applications.
  • Addressing current challenges will unlock the full potential of these versatile biological nanostructures.