1
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Range K, Chiang TK, Pramanik A, Landa JF, Snyder SN, Zuo X, Tiede DM, Utschig LM, Hegg EL, Sutter M, Kerfeld CA, Ralston CY. Chaotrope-Based Approach for Rapid In Vitro Assembly and Loading of Bacterial Microcompartment Shells. ACS NANO 2025; 19:11913-11923. [PMID: 40113598 PMCID: PMC11966763 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c15538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2025] [Accepted: 03/12/2025] [Indexed: 03/22/2025]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are proteinaceous organelles that self-assemble into selectively permeable shells that encapsulate enzymatic cargo. BMCs enhance catalytic pathways by reducing crosstalk among metabolites, preventing harmful intermediates from leaking into the cytosol and increasing reaction efficiency via enzyme colocalization. The intrinsic properties of BMCs make them attractive for biotechnological engineering. However, in vivo expression methods for shell synthesis have significant drawbacks that limit the potential design space for these nanocompartments. Here, we describe the development of an efficient and rapid method for the in vitro assembly of BMC shells from their protein building blocks. Our method enables large-scale construction of BMC shells by utilizing urea as a chaotropic agent to control self-assembly and provides an approach for encapsulation of both biotic and abiotic cargo under a broad range of reaction conditions. We demonstrate an enhanced level of control over the assembly of BMC shells in vitro and expand the design parameter space for engineering BMC systems with specialized and enhanced catalytic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyleigh
L. Range
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Molecular
Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Timothy K. Chiang
- Molecular
Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Arinita Pramanik
- Molecular
Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Joel F. Landa
- Cell
and Molecular Biology Department, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Molecular
Plant Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Samuel N. Snyder
- Chemical
Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne
National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Xiaobing Zuo
- X-ray Science
Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - David M. Tiede
- Chemical
Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne
National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Lisa M. Utschig
- Chemical
Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne
National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Eric L. Hegg
- Cell
and Molecular Biology Department, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Molecular
Plant Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Markus Sutter
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Environmental
Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 4720, United States
| | - Cheryl A. Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Environmental
Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 4720, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Corie Y. Ralston
- Molecular
Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 4720, United States
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2
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Correa SS, Schultz J, Zahodnik-Huntington B, Naschberger A, Rosado AS. Carboxysomes: The next frontier in biotechnology and sustainable solutions. Biotechnol Adv 2025; 79:108511. [PMID: 39732444 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2024] [Revised: 12/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/24/2024] [Indexed: 12/30/2024]
Abstract
Some bacteria possess microcompartments that function as protein-based organelles. Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) sequester enzymes to optimize metabolic reactions. Several BMCs have been characterized to date, including carboxysomes and metabolosomes. Genomic analysis has identified novel BMCs and their loci, often including genes for signature enzymes critical to their function, but further characterization is needed to confirm their roles. Among the various BMCs, carboxysomes, which are found in cyanobacteria and some chemoautotrophic bacteria, and are most extensively investigated. These self-assembling polyhedral proteinaceous BMCs are essential for carbon fixation. Carboxysomes encapsulate the enzymes RuBisCo and carbonic anhydrase, which increase the carbon fixation rate in the cell and decrease the oxygenation rate by RuBisCo. The ability of carboxysomes to concentrate carbon dioxide in crops and industrially relevant microorganisms renders them attractive targets for carbon assimilation bioengineering. Thus, carboxysome characterization is the first step toward developing carboxysome-based applications. Therefore, this review comprehensively explores carboxysome morphology, physiology, and biochemistry. It also discusses recent advances in microscopy and complementary techniques for isolating and characterizing this versatile class of prokaryotic organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulamita Santos Correa
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Makkah 23955, Saudi Arabia; Laboratory of Molecular Microbial Ecology, Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Júnia Schultz
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Makkah 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Brandon Zahodnik-Huntington
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Makkah 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Andreas Naschberger
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Makkah 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alexandre Soares Rosado
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Makkah 23955, Saudi Arabia.
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3
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Khaleque HN, Fathollahzadeh H, Kaksonen AH, Valdés J, Vergara E, Holmes DS, Watkin ELJ. Genomic insights into key mechanisms for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate assimilation by the acidophilic, halotolerant genus Acidihalobacter members. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae145. [PMID: 39496518 PMCID: PMC11585279 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 09/24/2024] [Accepted: 10/30/2024] [Indexed: 11/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In-depth comparative genomic analysis was conducted to predict carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate assimilation pathways in the halotolerant, acidophilic genus Acidihalobacter. The study primarily aimed to understand how the metabolic capabilities of each species can determine their roles and effects on the microbial ecology of their unique saline and acidic environments, as well as in their potential application to saline water bioleaching systems. All four genomes encoded the genes for the complete tricarboxylic acid cycle, including 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, a key enzyme absent in obligate chemolithotrophic acidophiles. Genes for a unique carboxysome shell protein, csoS1D, typically found in halotolerant bacteria but not in acidophiles, were identified. All genomes contained lactate and malate utilization genes, but only A. ferrooxydans DSM 14175T contained genes for the metabolism of propionate. Genes for phosphate assimilation were present, though organized differently across species. Only A. prosperus DSM 5130T and A. aeolianus DSM 14174T genomes contained nitrogen fixation genes, while A. ferrooxydans DSM 14175T and A. yilgarnensis DSM 105917T possessed genes for urease transporters and respiratory nitrate reductases, respectively. The findings suggest that all species can fix carbon dioxide but can also potentially utilize exogenous carbon sources and that the non-nitrogen-fixing species rely on alternative nitrogen assimilation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himel Nahreen Khaleque
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- CSIRO, Environment, Floreat, WA 6014, Australia
| | - Homayoun Fathollahzadeh
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | | | - Jorge Valdés
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago 8370146, Chile
| | - Eva Vergara
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, 8420000, Chile
| | - David S Holmes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, 8420000, Chile
| | - Elizabeth L J Watkin
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
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4
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Vogiatzi N, Blikstad C. Measuring carbonic anhydrase activity in alpha-carboxysomes using stopped-flow. Methods Enzymol 2024; 708:297-322. [PMID: 39572144 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2024.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2024]
Abstract
Carboxysomes are protein-based organelles that serve as the centerpiece of the bacterial CO2 concentration mechanism (CCM). They are present in all cyanobacteria and many chemoautotrophic proteobacteria and encapsulate the key enzymes for CO2 fixation, carbonic anhydrase and the carboxylase Rubisco, within a protein shell. The CCM actively accumulates bicarbonate in the cytosol, which diffuses into the carboxysome where carbonic anhydrase rapidly equilibrates it to CO2. This creates a high CO2 concentration around Rubisco, ensuring efficient carboxylation. In this chapter, we present a general method for purifying α-carboxysomes and measuring carbonic anhydrase activity within these purified compartments. We exemplify this with α-carboxysomes purified from the chemoautotroph Halothiobacillus neapolitanus c2, a model organism for the α-carboxysome based CCM. However, this purification protocol can be adapted for other species, such as carboxysomes from α-cyanobacteria or carboxysomes expressed in heterologous hosts. Further, we describe the Khalifah/pH indicator assay for measuring steady-state kinetics of carbonic anhydrase catalyzed CO2 hydration. This method allows us to determine the kinetic parameters kcat, KM and kcat/KM for the purified α-carboxysomes. It uses a stopped-flow spectrometer for rapid mixing and detection, crucial for capturing the fast equilibrium between CO2 and bicarbonate. The reaction progress is monitored by absorbance via a pH indicator that changes color due to the proton release. While the method specifically focuses on measuring carbonic anhydrase activity on carboxysomes, it can be used to measure activity on carbonic anhydrases from other contexts as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikoleta Vogiatzi
- Department of Chemistry-Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Blikstad
- Department of Chemistry-Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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5
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Li T, Chen T, Chang P, Ge X, Chriscoli V, Dykes GF, Wang Q, Liu LN. Uncovering the roles of the scaffolding protein CsoS2 in mediating the assembly and shape of the α-carboxysome shell. mBio 2024; 15:e0135824. [PMID: 39207096 PMCID: PMC11481516 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01358-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Carboxysomes are proteinaceous organelles featuring icosahedral protein shells that enclose the carbon-fixing enzymes, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (Rubisco), along with carbonic anhydrase. The intrinsically disordered scaffolding protein CsoS2 plays a vital role in the construction of α-carboxysomes through bridging the shell and cargo enzymes. The N-terminal domain of CsoS2 binds Rubisco and facilitates Rubisco packaging within the α-carboxysome, whereas the C-terminal domain of CsoS2 (CsoS2-C) anchors to the shell and promotes shell assembly. However, the role of the middle region of CsoS2 (CsoS2-M) has remained elusive. Here, we conducted in-depth examinations on the function of CsoS2-M in the assembly of the α-carboxysome shell by generating a series of recombinant shell variants in the absence of cargos. Our results reveal that CsoS2-M assists CsoS2-C in the assembly of the α-carboxysome shell and plays an important role in shaping the α-carboxysome shell through enhancing the association of shell proteins on both the facet-facet interfaces and flat shell facets. Moreover, CsoS2-M is responsible for recruiting the C-terminal truncated isoform of CsoS2, CsoS2A, into α-carboxysomes, which is crucial for Rubisco encapsulation and packaging. This study not only deepens our knowledge of how the carboxysome shell is constructed and regulated but also lays the groundwork for engineering and repurposing carboxysome-based nanostructures for diverse biotechnological purposes. IMPORTANCE Carboxysomes are a paradigm of organelle-like structures in cyanobacteria and many proteobacteria. These nanoscale compartments enclose Rubisco and carbonic anhydrase within an icosahedral virus-like shell to improve CO2 fixation, playing a vital role in the global carbon cycle. Understanding how the carboxysomes are formed is not only important for basic research studies but also holds promise for repurposing carboxysomes in bioengineering applications. In this study, we focuses on a specific scaffolding protein called CsoS2, which is involved in facilitating the assembly of α-type carboxysomes. By deciphering the functions of different parts of CsoS2, especially its middle region, we provide new insights into how CsoS2 drives the stepwise assembly of the carboxysome at the molecular level. This knowledge will guide the rational design and reprogramming of carboxysome nanostructures for many biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianpei Li
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Taiyu Chen
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ping Chang
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Xingwu Ge
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent Chriscoli
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory F. Dykes
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, 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, China
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6
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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. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:35503-35514. [PMID: 39184480 PMCID: PMC11339822 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein-bound organelles found in some bacteria that encapsulate enzymes for enhanced catalytic activity. These compartments spatially sequester enzymes within semipermeable 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 used 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 the 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, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Daipayan Sarkar
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Leanne Jade G. Chan
- Biological
Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Joshua Mae
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Markus Sutter
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Christopher J. Petzold
- Biological
Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Cheryl A. Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Corie Y. Ralston
- Molecular
Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Sayan Gupta
- Molecular
Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Josh V. Vermaas
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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7
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Gabr A, Stephens TG, Reinfelder JR, Liau P, Calatrava V, Grossman AR, Bhattacharya D. Evidence of a putative CO 2 delivery system to the chromatophore in the photosynthetic amoeba Paulinella. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2024; 16:e13304. [PMID: 38923306 PMCID: PMC11194058 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The photosynthetic amoeba, Paulinella provides a recent (ca. 120 Mya) example of primary plastid endosymbiosis. Given the extensive data demonstrating host lineage-driven endosymbiont integration, we analysed nuclear genome and transcriptome data to investigate mechanisms that may have evolved in Paulinella micropora KR01 (hereinafter, KR01) to maintain photosynthetic function in the novel organelle, the chromatophore. The chromatophore is of α-cyanobacterial provenance and has undergone massive gene loss due to Muller's ratchet, but still retains genes that encode the ancestral α-carboxysome and the shell carbonic anhydrase, two critical components of the biophysical CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) in cyanobacteria. We identified KR01 nuclear genes potentially involved in the CCM that arose via duplication and divergence and are upregulated in response to high light and downregulated under elevated CO2. We speculate that these genes may comprise a novel CO2 delivery system (i.e., a biochemical CCM) to promote the turnover of the RuBisCO carboxylation reaction and counteract photorespiration. We posit that KR01 has an inefficient photorespiratory system that cannot fully recycle the C2 product of RuBisCO oxygenation back to the Calvin-Benson cycle. Nonetheless, both these systems appear to be sufficient to allow Paulinella to persist in environments dominated by faster-growing phototrophs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arwa Gabr
- Graduate Program in Molecular Bioscience and Program in Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - Timothy G. Stephens
- Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - John R. Reinfelder
- Department of Environmental SciencesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - Pinky Liau
- Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - Victoria Calatrava
- Department of Plant BiologyThe Carnegie Institution for ScienceStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Arthur R. Grossman
- Department of Plant BiologyThe Carnegie Institution for ScienceStanfordCaliforniaUSA
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8
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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] [MESH Headings] [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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9
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Chen T, Hojka M, Davey P, Sun Y, Dykes GF, Zhou F, Lawson T, Nixon PJ, Lin Y, Liu LN. Engineering α-carboxysomes into plant chloroplasts to support autotrophic photosynthesis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2118. [PMID: 37185249 PMCID: PMC10130085 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37490-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The growth in world population, climate change, and resource scarcity necessitate a sustainable increase in crop productivity. Photosynthesis in major crops is limited by the inefficiency of the key CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco, owing to its low carboxylation rate and poor ability to discriminate between CO2 and O2. In cyanobacteria and proteobacteria, carboxysomes function as the central CO2-fixing organelles that elevate CO2 levels around encapsulated Rubisco to enhance carboxylation. There is growing interest in engineering carboxysomes into crop chloroplasts as a potential route for improving photosynthesis and crop yields. Here, we generate morphologically correct carboxysomes in tobacco chloroplasts by transforming nine carboxysome genetic components derived from a proteobacterium. The chloroplast-expressed carboxysomes display a structural and functional integrity comparable to native carboxysomes and support autotrophic growth and photosynthesis of the transplastomic plants at elevated CO2. Our study provides proof-of-concept for a route to engineering fully functional CO2-fixing modules and entire CO2-concentrating mechanisms into chloroplasts to improve crop photosynthesis and productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiyu Chen
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Marta Hojka
- Department of Life Sciences, Sir Ernst Chain Building-Wolfson Laboratories, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Philip Davey
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 4SQ, UK
| | - Yaqi Sun
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Gregory F Dykes
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Fei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Tracy Lawson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 4SQ, UK
| | - Peter J Nixon
- Department of Life Sciences, Sir Ernst Chain Building-Wolfson Laboratories, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Yongjun Lin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China.
| | - 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, 266003, Qingdao, China.
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10
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Kupriyanova EV, Pronina NA, Los DA. Adapting from Low to High: An Update to CO 2-Concentrating Mechanisms of Cyanobacteria and Microalgae. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1569. [PMID: 37050194 PMCID: PMC10096703 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The intracellular accumulation of inorganic carbon (Ci) by microalgae and cyanobacteria under ambient atmospheric CO2 levels was first documented in the 80s of the 20th Century. Hence, a third variety of the CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM), acting in aquatic photoautotrophs with the C3 photosynthetic pathway, was revealed in addition to the then-known schemes of CCM, functioning in CAM and C4 higher plants. Despite the low affinity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) of microalgae and cyanobacteria for the CO2 substrate and low CO2/O2 specificity, CCM allows them to perform efficient CO2 fixation in the reductive pentose phosphate (RPP) cycle. CCM is based on the coordinated operation of strategically located carbonic anhydrases and CO2/HCO3- uptake systems. This cooperation enables the intracellular accumulation of HCO3-, which is then employed to generate a high concentration of CO2 molecules in the vicinity of Rubisco's active centers compensating up for the shortcomings of enzyme features. CCM functions as an add-on to the RPP cycle while also acting as an important regulatory link in the interaction of dark and light reactions of photosynthesis. This review summarizes recent advances in the study of CCM molecular and cellular organization in microalgae and cyanobacteria, as well as the fundamental principles of its functioning and regulation.
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11
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Huang J, Jiang Q, Yang M, Dykes GF, Weetman SL, Xin W, He HL, Liu LN. Probing the Internal pH and Permeability of a Carboxysome Shell. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:4339-4348. [PMID: 36054822 PMCID: PMC9554877 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
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The carboxysome is a protein-based nanoscale organelle
in cyanobacteria
and many proteobacteria, which encapsulates the key CO2-fixing enzymes ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco)
and carbonic anhydrase (CA) within a polyhedral protein shell. The
intrinsic self-assembly and architectural features of carboxysomes
and the semipermeability of the protein shell provide the foundation
for the accumulation of CO2 within carboxysomes and enhanced
carboxylation. Here, we develop an approach to determine the interior
pH conditions and inorganic carbon accumulation within an α-carboxysome
shell derived from a chemoautotrophic proteobacterium Halothiobacillus neapolitanus and evaluate the shell
permeability. By incorporating a pH reporter, pHluorin2, within empty
α-carboxysome shells produced in Escherichia
coli, we probe the interior pH of the protein shells
with and without CA. Our in vivo and in vitro results demonstrate a lower interior pH of α-carboxysome shells
than the cytoplasmic pH and buffer pH, as well as the modulation of
the interior pH in response to changes in external environments, indicating
the shell permeability to bicarbonate ions and protons. We further
determine the saturated HCO3– concentration
of 15 mM within α-carboxysome shells and show the CA-mediated
increase in the interior CO2 level. Uncovering the interior
physiochemical microenvironment of carboxysomes is crucial for understanding
the mechanisms underlying carboxysomal shell permeability and enhancement
of Rubisco carboxylation within carboxysomes. Such fundamental knowledge
may inform reprogramming carboxysomes to improve metabolism and recruit
foreign enzymes for enhanced catalytical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiafeng Huang
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.,School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410017, China
| | - Qiuyao Jiang
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.,Department of Central Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, China
| | - Mengru Yang
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory F Dykes
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha L Weetman
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Xin
- Department of Central Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, China.,Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 271000, China
| | - Hai-Lun He
- School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410017, China
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.,College of Marine Life Sciences, and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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12
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USF Genomics Class 2020, USF Genomics Class 2021, Sutter M, Kerfeld CA, Scott KM. Atypical Carboxysome Loci: JEEPs or Junk? Front Microbiol 2022; 13:872708. [PMID: 35668770 PMCID: PMC9164163 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.872708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Carboxysomes, responsible for a substantial fraction of CO2 fixation on Earth, are proteinaceous microcompartments found in many autotrophic members of domain Bacteria, primarily from the phyla Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria. Carboxysomes facilitate CO2 fixation by the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle, particularly under conditions where the CO2 concentration is variable or low, or O2 is abundant. These microcompartments are composed of an icosahedral shell containing the enzymes ribulose 1,5-carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) and carbonic anhydrase. They function as part of a CO2 concentrating mechanism, in which cells accumulate HCO3 - in the cytoplasm via active transport, HCO3 - enters the carboxysomes through pores in the carboxysomal shell proteins, and carboxysomal carbonic anhydrase facilitates the conversion of HCO3 - to CO2, which RubisCO fixes. Two forms of carboxysomes have been described: α-carboxysomes and β-carboxysomes, which arose independently from ancestral microcompartments. The α-carboxysomes present in Proteobacteria and some Cyanobacteria have shells comprised of four types of proteins [CsoS1 hexamers, CsoS4 pentamers, CsoS2 assembly proteins, and α-carboxysomal carbonic anhydrase (CsoSCA)], and contain form IA RubisCO (CbbL and CbbS). In the majority of cases, these components are encoded in the genome near each other in a gene locus, and transcribed together as an operon. Interestingly, genome sequencing has revealed some α-carboxysome loci that are missing genes encoding one or more of these components. Some loci lack the genes encoding RubisCO, others lack a gene encoding carbonic anhydrase, some loci are missing shell protein genes, and in some organisms, genes homologous to those encoding the carboxysome-associated carbonic anhydrase are the only carboxysome-related genes present in the genome. Given that RubisCO, assembly factors, carbonic anhydrase, and shell proteins are all essential for carboxysome function, these absences are quite intriguing. In this review, we provide an overview of the most recent studies of the structural components of carboxysomes, describe the genomic context and taxonomic distribution of atypical carboxysome loci, and propose functions for these variants. We suggest that these atypical loci are JEEPs, which have modified functions based on the presence of Just Enough Essential Parts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Markus Sutter
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Cheryl A. Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Kathleen M. Scott
- Integrative Biology Department, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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13
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Abstract
Carboxysomes are anabolic bacterial microcompartments that play an essential role in carbon fixation in cyanobacteria and some chemoautotrophs. This self-assembling organelle encapsulates the key CO2-fixing enzymes, Rubisco, and carbonic anhydrase using a polyhedral protein shell that is constructed by hundreds of shell protein paralogs. The α-carboxysome from the chemoautotroph Halothiobacillus neapolitanus serves as a model system in fundamental studies and synthetic engineering of carboxysomes. In this study, we adopted a QconCAT-based quantitative mass spectrometry approach to determine the stoichiometric composition of native α-carboxysomes from H. neapolitanus. We further performed an in-depth comparison of the protein stoichiometry of native α-carboxysomes and their recombinant counterparts heterologously generated in Escherichia coli to evaluate the structural variability and remodeling of α-carboxysomes. Our results provide insight into the molecular principles that mediate carboxysome assembly, which may aid in rational design and reprogramming of carboxysomes in new contexts for biotechnological applications. IMPORTANCE A wide range of bacteria use special protein-based organelles, termed bacterial microcompartments, to encase enzymes and reactions to increase the efficiency of biological processes. As a model bacterial microcompartment, the carboxysome contains a protein shell filled with the primary carbon fixation enzyme Rubisco. The self-assembling organelle is generated by hundreds of proteins and plays important roles in converting carbon dioxide to sugar, a process known as carbon fixation. In this study, we uncovered the exact stoichiometry of all building components and the structural plasticity of the functional α-carboxysome, using newly developed quantitative mass spectrometry together with biochemistry, electron microscopy, and enzymatic assay. The study advances our understanding of the architecture and modularity of natural carboxysomes. The knowledge learned from natural carboxysomes will suggest feasible ways to produce functional carboxysomes in other hosts, such as crop plants, with the overwhelming goal of boosting cell metabolism and crop yields.
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14
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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: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [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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15
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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: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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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16
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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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17
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Zhang Y, Zhou J, Zhang Y, Liu T, Lu X, Men D, Zhang XE. Auxiliary Module Promotes the Synthesis of Carboxysomes in E. coli to Achieve High-Efficiency CO 2 Assimilation. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:707-715. [PMID: 33723997 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Carboxysomes (CBs) are protein organelles in cyanobacteria, and they play a central role in assimilation of CO2. Heterologous synthesis of CBs in E. coli provides an opportunity for CO2-organic compound conversion under controlled conditions but remains challenging; specifically, the CO2 assimilation efficiency is insufficient. In this study, an auxiliary module was designed to assist self-assembly of CBs derived from a model species cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus marinus (P. marinus) MED4 for synthesizing in E. coli. The results indicated that the structural integrity of synthetic CBs is improved through the transmission electron microscope images and that the CBs have highly efficient CO2-concentrating ability as revealed by enzyme kinetic analysis. Furthermore, the bacterial growth curve and 13C-metabolic flux analysis not only consolidated the fact of CO2 assimilation by synthetic CBs in E. coli but also proved that the engineered strain could efficiently convert external CO2 to some metabolic intermediates (acetyl-CoA, malate, fumarate, tyrosine, etc.) of the central metabolic pathway. The synthesis of CBs of P. marinus MED4 in E. coli provides prospects for understanding their CO2 assimilation mechanism and realizing their modular application in synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Juan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yuchen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
| | - Tiangang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Dong Men
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xian-En Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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18
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Kobayashi A, Takayama Y, Hirakawa T, Okajima K, Oide M, Oroguchi T, Inui Y, Yamamoto M, Matsunaga S, Nakasako M. Common architectures in cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus cells visualized by X-ray diffraction imaging using X-ray free electron laser. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3877. [PMID: 33594220 PMCID: PMC7886902 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83401-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Visualization of intracellular structures and their spatial organization inside cells without any modification is essential to understand the mechanisms underlying the biological functions of cells. Here, we investigated the intracellular structure of cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus in the interphase by X-ray diffraction imaging using X-ray free-electron laser. A number of diffraction patterns from single cells smaller than 1 µm in size were collected with high signal-to-noise ratio with a resolution of up to 30 nm. From diffraction patterns, a set of electron density maps projected along the direction of the incident X-ray were retrieved with high reliability. The most characteristic structure found to be common among the cells was a C-shaped arrangement of 100-nm sized high-density spots, which surrounded a low-density area of 100 nm. Furthermore, a three-dimensional map reconstructed from the projection maps of individual cells was non-uniform, indicating the presence of common structures among cyanobacteria cells in the interphase. By referring to the fluorescent images for distributions of thylakoid membranes, nucleoids, and carboxysomes, we inferred and represented their spatial arrangements in the three-dimensional map. The arrangement allowed us to discuss the relevance of the intracellular organization to the biological functions of cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amane Kobayashi
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
| | - Yuki Takayama
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
- Graduate School of Material Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1 Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo, 678-1297, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hirakawa
- Department of Applied Biological Science Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Koji Okajima
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
| | - Mao Oide
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
| | - Tomotaka Oroguchi
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
| | - Yayoi Inui
- Department of Applied Biological Science Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Masaki Yamamoto
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
| | - Sachihiro Matsunaga
- Department of Applied Biological Science Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Nakasako
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan.
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan.
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19
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Reprogramming bacterial protein organelles as a nanoreactor for hydrogen production. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5448. [PMID: 33116131 PMCID: PMC7595155 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19280-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Compartmentalization is a ubiquitous building principle in cells, which permits segregation of biological elements and reactions. The carboxysome is a specialized bacterial organelle that encapsulates enzymes into a virus-like protein shell and plays essential roles in photosynthetic carbon fixation. The naturally designed architecture, semi-permeability, and catalytic improvement of carboxysomes have inspired rational design and engineering of new nanomaterials to incorporate desired enzymes into the protein shell for enhanced catalytic performance. Here, we build large, intact carboxysome shells (over 90 nm in diameter) in the industrial microorganism Escherichia coli by expressing a set of carboxysome protein-encoding genes. We develop strategies for enzyme activation, shell self-assembly, and cargo encapsulation to construct a robust nanoreactor that incorporates catalytically active [FeFe]-hydrogenases and functional partners within the empty shell for the production of hydrogen. We show that shell encapsulation and the internal microenvironment of the new catalyst facilitate hydrogen production of the encapsulated oxygen-sensitive hydrogenases. The study provides insights into the assembly and formation of carboxysomes and paves the way for engineering carboxysome shell-based nanoreactors to recruit specific enzymes for diverse catalytic reactions. The extreme oxygen sensitive character of hydrogenases is a longstanding issue for hydrogen production in bacteria. Here, the authors build carboxysome shells in E. coli and incorporate catalytically active hydrogenases and functional partners within the empty shell for the production of hydrogen.
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20
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Flamholz AI, Dugan E, Blikstad C, Gleizer S, Ben-Nissan R, Amram S, Antonovsky N, Ravishankar S, Noor E, Bar-Even A, Milo R, Savage DF. Functional reconstitution of a bacterial CO 2 concentrating mechanism in Escherichia coli. eLife 2020; 9:59882. [PMID: 33084575 PMCID: PMC7714395 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many photosynthetic organisms employ a CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) to increase the rate of CO2 fixation via the Calvin cycle. CCMs catalyze ≈50% of global photosynthesis, yet it remains unclear which genes and proteins are required to produce this complex adaptation. We describe the construction of a functional CCM in a non-native host, achieved by expressing genes from an autotrophic bacterium in an Escherichia coli strain engineered to depend on rubisco carboxylation for growth. Expression of 20 CCM genes enabled E. coli to grow by fixing CO2 from ambient air into biomass, with growth in ambient air depending on the components of the CCM. Bacterial CCMs are therefore genetically compact and readily transplanted, rationalizing their presence in diverse bacteria. Reconstitution enabled genetic experiments refining our understanding of the CCM, thereby laying the groundwork for deeper study and engineering of the cell biology supporting CO2 assimilation in diverse organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avi I Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Eli Dugan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Cecilia Blikstad
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Shmuel Gleizer
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Roee Ben-Nissan
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Shira Amram
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Niv Antonovsky
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Sumedha Ravishankar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Elad Noor
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Arren Bar-Even
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdamGermany
| | - Ron Milo
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - David F Savage
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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21
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Chowdhury NP, Alberti L, Linder M, Müller V. Exploring Bacterial Microcompartments in the Acetogenic Bacterium Acetobacterium woodii. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:593467. [PMID: 33178174 PMCID: PMC7593272 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.593467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The strictly anaerobic acetogenic bacterium Acetobacterium woodii is metabolically diverse and grows on variety of substrates which includes H2 + CO2, sugars, alcohols and diols. It is unique in producing bacterial microcompartments (BMC) during growth on different substrates such as 1,2-propanediol, 2,3-butanediol, ethanol or fructose. In this study, we analyzed the genetic organization and expression of the BMC genes within the A. woodii genome, the previously described 18 gene pdu cluster as well as four other cluster potentially encoding one or two shell proteins. Expression analysis of respective gene clusters revealed that the pdu gene cluster is highly expressed during growth on 1,2-PD, 2,3-BD, ethanol and ethylene glycol. The promoter region upstream of the pduA gene was identified and used to establish a reporter gene assay based on chloramphenicol acetyl transferase as a reporter protein. The reporter gene assay confirmed the qPCR data and demonstrated that 1,2-PD is superior over ethanol and ethylene glycol as inducer. BMCs were enriched from cells grown on 2,3- BD and 1,2-PD and shown to have typical structure in electron micrographs. Biochemical analyses revealed several of the protein encoded by the pdu cluster to be part of the isolated BMCs. These data demonstrate a very unique situation in A. woodii in which apparently one BMC gene cluster in expressed during growth on different substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilanjan Pal Chowdhury
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lydia Alberti
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mark Linder
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Volker Müller
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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22
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Desmarais JJ, Flamholz AI, Blikstad C, Dugan EJ, Laughlin TG, Oltrogge LM, Chen AW, Wetmore K, Diamond S, Wang JY, Savage DF. DABs are inorganic carbon pumps found throughout prokaryotic phyla. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:2204-2215. [PMID: 31406332 PMCID: PMC10184468 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0520-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial autotrophs often rely on CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) to assimilate carbon. Although many CCM proteins have been identified, a systematic screen of the components of CCMs is lacking. Here, we performed a genome-wide barcoded transposon screen to identify essential and CCM-related genes in the γ-proteobacterium Halothiobacillus neapolitanus. Screening revealed that the CCM comprises at least 17 and probably no more than 25 genes, most of which are encoded in 3 operons. Two of these operons (DAB1 and DAB2) contain a two-gene locus that encodes a domain of unknown function (Pfam: PF10070) and a putative cation transporter (Pfam: PF00361). Physiological and biochemical assays demonstrated that these proteins-which we name DabA and DabB, for DABs accumulate bicarbonate-assemble into a heterodimeric complex, which contains a putative β-carbonic anhydrase-like active site and functions as an energy-coupled inorganic carbon (Ci) pump. Interestingly, DAB operons are found in a diverse range of bacteria and archaea. We demonstrate that functional DABs are present in the human pathogens Bacillus anthracis and Vibrio cholerae. On the basis of these results, we propose that DABs constitute a class of energized Ci pumps and play a critical role in the metabolism of Ci throughout prokaryotic phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Desmarais
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Avi I Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cecilia Blikstad
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Eli J Dugan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Thomas G Laughlin
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Luke M Oltrogge
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Allen W Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kelly Wetmore
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Spencer Diamond
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Joy Y Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - David F Savage
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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23
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Li YY, Chen XH, Xue C, Zhang H, Sun G, Xie ZX, Lin L, Wang DZ. Proteomic Response to Rising Temperature in the Marine Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Grown in Different Nitrogen Sources. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1976. [PMID: 31507578 PMCID: PMC6716455 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Synechococcus is one of the most important contributors to global primary productivity, and ocean warming is predicted to increase abundance and distribution of Synechococcus in the ocean. Here, we investigated molecular response of an oceanic Synechococcus strain WH8102 grown in two nitrogen sources (nitrate and urea) under present (25°C) and predicted future (28°C) temperature conditions using an isobaric tag (IBT)-based quantitative proteomic approach. Rising temperature decreased growth rate, contents of chlorophyll a, protein and sugar in the nitrate-grown cells, but only decreased protein content and significantly increased zeaxanthin content of the urea-grown cells. Expressions of CsoS2 protein involved in carboxysome formation and ribosomal subunits in both nitrate- and urea-grown cells were significantly decreased in rising temperature, whereas carbohydrate selective porin and sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) were remarkably up-regulated, and carbohydrate degradation associated proteins, i.e., glycogen phosphorylase kinase, fructokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, were down-regulated in the urea-grown cells. Rising temperature also increased expressions of three redox-sensitive enzymes (peroxiredoxin, thioredoxin, and CP12) in both nitrate- and urea-grown cells. Our results indicated that rising temperature did not enhance cell growth of Synechococcus; on the contrary, it impaired cell functions, and this might influence cell abundance and distribution of Synechococcus in a future ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Yuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xiao-Huang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Cheng Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Geng Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhang-Xian Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Lin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Da-Zhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
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24
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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: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [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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25
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Long BM, Hee WY, Sharwood RE, Rae BD, Kaines S, Lim YL, Nguyen ND, Massey B, Bala S, von Caemmerer S, Badger MR, Price GD. Carboxysome encapsulation of the CO 2-fixing enzyme Rubisco in tobacco chloroplasts. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3570. [PMID: 30177711 PMCID: PMC6120970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06044-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A long-term strategy to enhance global crop photosynthesis and yield involves the introduction of cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) into plant chloroplasts. Cyanobacterial CCMs enable relatively rapid CO2 fixation by elevating intracellular inorganic carbon as bicarbonate, then concentrating it as CO2 around the enzyme Rubisco in specialized protein micro-compartments called carboxysomes. To date, chloroplastic expression of carboxysomes has been elusive, requiring coordinated expression of almost a dozen proteins. Here we successfully produce simplified carboxysomes, isometric with those of the source organism Cyanobium, within tobacco chloroplasts. We replace the endogenous Rubisco large subunit gene with cyanobacterial Form-1A Rubisco large and small subunit genes, along with genes for two key α-carboxysome structural proteins. This minimal gene set produces carboxysomes, which encapsulate the introduced Rubisco and enable autotrophic growth at elevated CO2. This result demonstrates the formation of α-carboxysomes from a reduced gene set, informing the step-wise construction of fully functional α-carboxysomes in chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict M Long
- Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Wei Yih Hee
- Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Benjamin D Rae
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Sarah Kaines
- Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Yi-Leen Lim
- Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Nghiem D Nguyen
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Baxter Massey
- Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Soumi Bala
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Murray R Badger
- Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - G Dean Price
- Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
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26
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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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27
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Chaijarasphong T, Savage DF. Sequestered: Design and Construction of Synthetic Organelles. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527688104.ch14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thawatchai Chaijarasphong
- Mahidol University; Faculty of Science, Department of Biotechnology; Rama VI Rd. Bangkok 10400 Thailand
| | - David F. Savage
- University of California; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology; 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley CA 94720 USA
- University of California; Department of Chemistry; 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley CA 94720 USA
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28
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Garcia-Alles LF, Lesniewska E, Root K, Aubry N, Pocholle N, Mendoza CI, Bourillot E, Barylyuk K, Pompon D, Zenobi R, Reguera D, Truan G. Spontaneous non-canonical assembly of CcmK hexameric components from β-carboxysome shells of cyanobacteria. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185109. [PMID: 28934279 PMCID: PMC5608322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CcmK proteins are major constituents of icosahedral shells of β-carboxysomes, a bacterial microcompartment that plays a key role for CO2 fixation in nature. Supported by the characterization of bidimensional (2D) layers of packed CcmK hexamers in crystal and electron microscopy structures, CcmK are assumed to be the major components of icosahedral flat facets. Here, we reassessed the validity of this model by studying CcmK isoforms from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Native mass spectrometry studies confirmed that CcmK are hexamers in solution. Interestingly, potential pre-assembled intermediates were also detected with CcmK2. Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) imaging under quasi-physiological conditions confirmed the formation of canonical flat sheets with CcmK4. Conversely, CcmK2 formed both canonical and striped-patterned patches, while CcmK1 assembled into remarkable supra-hexameric curved honeycomb-like mosaics. Mutational studies ascribed the propensity of CcmK1 to form round assemblies to a combination of two features shared by at least one CcmK isoform in most β-cyanobacteria: a displacement of an α helical portion towards the hexamer edge, where a potential phosphate binding funnel forms between packed hexamers, and the presence of a short C-terminal extension in CcmK1. All-atom molecular dynamics supported a contribution of phosphate molecules sandwiched between hexamers to bend CcmK1 assemblies. Formation of supra-hexameric curved structures could be reproduced in coarse-grained simulations, provided that adhesion forces to the support were weak. Apart from uncovering unprecedented CcmK self-assembly features, our data suggest the possibility that transitions between curved and flat assemblies, following cargo maturation, could be important for the biogenesis of β-carboxysomes, possibly also of other BMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F. Garcia-Alles
- LISBP, CNRS, INRA, INSA, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail: (LFGA); (GT)
| | - Eric Lesniewska
- ICB UMR CNRS 6303, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comte, Dijon, France
| | - Katharina Root
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Aubry
- LISBP, CNRS, INRA, INSA, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Pocholle
- ICB UMR CNRS 6303, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comte, Dijon, France
| | - Carlos I. Mendoza
- Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd Mx, México
| | - Eric Bourillot
- ICB UMR CNRS 6303, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comte, Dijon, France
| | - Konstantin Barylyuk
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Pompon
- LISBP, CNRS, INRA, INSA, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Renato Zenobi
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David Reguera
- Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gilles Truan
- LISBP, CNRS, INRA, INSA, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail: (LFGA); (GT)
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29
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Erb TJ, Zarzycki J. A short history of RubisCO: the rise and fall (?) of Nature's predominant CO 2 fixing enzyme. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 49:100-107. [PMID: 28843191 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) is arguably one of the most abundant proteins in the biosphere and a key enzyme in the global carbon cycle. Although RubisCO has been intensively studied, its evolutionary origins and rise as Nature's most dominant carbon dioxide (CO2)-fixing enzyme still remain in the dark. In this review we will bring together biochemical, structural, physiological, microbiological, as well as phylogenetic data to speculate on the evolutionary roots of the CO2-fixation reaction of RubisCO, the emergence of RubisCO-based autotrophic CO2-fixation in the context of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, and the further evolution of RubisCO into the 'RubisCOsome', a complex of various proteins assembling and interacting with the enzyme to improve its operational capacity (functionality) under different biological and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias J Erb
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 10, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Jan Zarzycki
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 10, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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30
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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: 7.4] [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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31
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Sommer M, Cai F, Melnicki M, Kerfeld CA. β-Carboxysome bioinformatics: identification and evolution of new bacterial microcompartment protein gene classes and core locus constraints. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:3841-3855. [PMID: 28419380 PMCID: PMC5853843 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Carboxysomes are bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) that enhance CO2 fixation in all cyanobacteria. Structurally, carboxysome shell proteins are classified according to the type of oligomer formed: hexameric (BMC-H), trimeric (BMC-T) and pentameric (BMC-P) proteins. To understand the forces driving the evolution of the carboxysome shell, we conducted a bioinformatic study of genes encoding β-carboxysome shell proteins, taking advantage of the recent large increase in sequenced cyanobacterial genomes. In addition to the four well-established BMC-H (CcmK1-4) classes, our analysis reveals two new CcmK classes, which we name CcmK5 and CcmK6. CcmK5 is phylogenetically closest to CcmK3 and CcmK4, and the ccmK5 gene is found only in genomes lacking ccmK3 and ccmk4 genes. ccmK6 is found predominantly in heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria. The gene encoding the BMC-T homolog CcmO is associated with the main carboxysome locus (MCL) in only 60% of all species. We find five evolutionary origins of separation of ccmO from the MCL. Transcriptome analysis demonstrates that satellite ccmO genes, in contrast to MCL-associated ccmO genes, are never co-regulated with other MCL genes. The dispersal of carboxysome shell genes across the genome allows for distinct regulation of their expression, perhaps in response to changes in environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Sommer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Fei Cai
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Melnicki
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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32
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Rae BD, Long BM, Förster B, Nguyen ND, Velanis CN, Atkinson N, Hee WY, Mukherjee B, Price GD, McCormick AJ. Progress and challenges of engineering a biophysical CO2-concentrating mechanism into higher plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:3717-3737. [PMID: 28444330 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Growth and productivity in important crop plants is limited by the inefficiencies of the C3 photosynthetic pathway. Introducing CO2-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) into C3 plants could overcome these limitations and lead to increased yields. Many unicellular microautotrophs, such as cyanobacteria and green algae, possess highly efficient biophysical CCMs that increase CO2 concentrations around the primary carboxylase enzyme, Rubisco, to enhance CO2 assimilation rates. Algal and cyanobacterial CCMs utilize distinct molecular components, but share several functional commonalities. Here we outline the recent progress and current challenges of engineering biophysical CCMs into C3 plants. We review the predicted requirements for a functional biophysical CCM based on current knowledge of cyanobacterial and algal CCMs, the molecular engineering tools and research pipelines required to translate our theoretical knowledge into practice, and the current challenges to achieving these goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Rae
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Benedict M Long
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Britta Förster
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Nghiem D Nguyen
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Christos N Velanis
- SynthSys and Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Nicky Atkinson
- SynthSys and Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Wei Yih Hee
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Bratati Mukherjee
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - G Dean Price
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Alistair J McCormick
- SynthSys and Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
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Wheatley NM, Eden KD, Ngo J, Rosinski JS, Sawaya MR, Cascio D, Collazo M, Hoveida H, Hubbell WL, Yeates TO. A PII-Like Protein Regulated by Bicarbonate: Structural and Biochemical Studies of the Carboxysome-Associated CPII Protein. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:4013-4030. [PMID: 27464895 PMCID: PMC5048545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Autotrophic bacteria rely on various mechanisms to increase intracellular concentrations of inorganic forms of carbon (i.e., bicarbonate and CO2) in order to improve the efficiency with which they can be converted to organic forms. Transmembrane bicarbonate transporters and carboxysomes play key roles in accumulating bicarbonate and CO2, but other regulatory elements of carbon concentration mechanisms in bacteria are less understood. In this study, after analyzing the genomic regions around α-type carboxysome operons, we characterize a protein that is conserved across these operons but has not been previously studied. On the basis of a series of apo- and ligand-bound crystal structures and supporting biochemical data, we show that this protein, which we refer to as the carboxysome-associated PII protein (CPII), represents a new and distinct subfamily within the broad superfamily of previously studied PII regulatory proteins, which are generally involved in regulating nitrogen metabolism in bacteria. CPII undergoes dramatic conformational changes in response to ADP binding, and the affinity for nucleotide binding is strongly enhanced by the presence of bicarbonate. CPII therefore appears to be a unique type of PII protein that senses bicarbonate availability, consistent with its apparent genomic association with the carboxysome and its constituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Wheatley
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kevin D Eden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Joanna Ngo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Justin S Rosinski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael R Sawaya
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Duilio Cascio
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael Collazo
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hamidreza Hoveida
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Wayne L Hubbell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Todd O Yeates
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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34
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Gonzalez-Esquer CR, Newnham SE, Kerfeld CA. Bacterial microcompartments as metabolic modules for plant synthetic biology. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 87:66-75. [PMID: 26991644 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are megadalton-sized protein assemblies that enclose segments of metabolic pathways within cells. They increase the catalytic efficiency of the encapsulated enzymes while sequestering volatile or toxic intermediates from the bulk cytosol. The first BMCs discovered were the carboxysomes of cyanobacteria. Carboxysomes compartmentalize the enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) with carbonic anhydrase. They enhance the carboxylase activity of RuBisCO by increasing the local concentration of CO2 in the vicinity of the enzyme's active site. As a metabolic module for carbon fixation, carboxysomes could be transferred to eukaryotic organisms (e.g. plants) to increase photosynthetic efficiency. Within the scope of synthetic biology, carboxysomes and other BMCs hold even greater potential when considered a source of building blocks for the development of nanoreactors or three-dimensional scaffolds to increase the efficiency of either native or heterologously expressed enzymes. The carboxysome serves as an ideal model system for testing approaches to engineering BMCs because their expression in cyanobacteria provides a sensitive screen for form (appearance of polyhedral bodies) and function (ability to grow on air). We recount recent progress in the re-engineering of the carboxysome shell and core to offer a conceptual framework for the development of BMC-based architectures for applications in plant synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah E Newnham
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Berkeley Synthetic Biology Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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35
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Kerfeld CA, Melnicki MR. Assembly, function and evolution of cyanobacterial carboxysomes. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 31:66-75. [PMID: 27060669 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
All cyanobacteria contain carboxysomes, RuBisCO-encapsulating bacterial microcompartments that function as prokaryotic organelles. The two carboxysome types, alpha and beta, differ fundamentally in components, assembly, and species distribution. Alpha carboxysomes share a highly-conserved gene organization, with evidence of horizontal gene transfer from chemoautotrophic proteobacteria to the picocyanobacteria, and seem to co-assemble shells concomitantly with aggregation of cargo enzymes. In contrast, beta carboxysomes assemble an enzymatic core first, with an encapsulation peptide playing a critical role in formation of the surrounding shell. Based on similarities in assembly, and phylogenetic analysis of the pentameric shell protein conserved across all bacterial microcompartments, beta carboxysomes appear to be more closely related to the microcompartments of heterotrophic bacteria (metabolosomes) than to alpha carboxysomes, which appear deeply divergent. Beta carboxysomes can be found in the basal cyanobacterial clades that diverged before the ancestor of the chloroplast and have recently been shown to be able to encapsulate functional RuBisCO enzymes resurrected from ancestrally-reconstructed sequences, consistent with an ancient origin. Alpha and beta carboxysomes are not only distinct units of evolution, but are now emerging as genetic/metabolic modules for synthetic biology; heterologous expression and redesign of both the shell and the enzymatic core have recently been achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A Kerfeld
- 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; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Matthew R Melnicki
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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36
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Long BM, Rae BD, Rolland V, Förster B, Price GD. Cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating mechanism components: function and prospects for plant metabolic engineering. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 31:1-8. [PMID: 26999306 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Global population growth is projected to outpace plant-breeding improvements in major crop yields within decades. To ensure future food security, multiple creative efforts seek to overcome limitations to crop yield. Perhaps the greatest limitation to increased crop yield is photosynthetic inefficiency, particularly in C3 crop plants. Recently, great strides have been made toward crop improvement by researchers seeking to introduce the cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) into plant chloroplasts. This strategy recognises the C3 chloroplast as lacking a CCM, and being a primordial cyanobacterium at its essence. Hence the collection of solute transporters, enzymes, and physical structures that make cyanobacterial CO2-fixation so efficient are viewed as a natural source of genetic material for C3 chloroplast improvement. Also we highlight recent outstanding research aimed toward the goal of introducing a cyanobacterial CCM into C3 chloroplasts and consider future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict M Long
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Benjamin D Rae
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Vivien Rolland
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Britta Förster
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - G Dean Price
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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37
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Chaijarasphong T, Nichols RJ, Kortright KE, Nixon CF, Teng PK, Oltrogge LM, Savage DF. Programmed Ribosomal Frameshifting Mediates Expression of the α-Carboxysome. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:153-164. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Structural Characterization of a Newly Identified Component of α-Carboxysomes: The AAA+ Domain Protein CsoCbbQ. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16243. [PMID: 26538283 PMCID: PMC4633670 DOI: 10.1038/srep16243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Carboxysomes are bacterial microcompartments that enhance carbon fixation by concentrating ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) and its substrate CO2 within a proteinaceous shell. They are found in all cyanobacteria, some purple photoautotrophs and many chemoautotrophic bacteria. Carboxysomes consist of a protein shell that encapsulates several hundred molecules of RuBisCO, and contain carbonic anhydrase and other accessory proteins. Genes coding for carboxysome shell components and the encapsulated proteins are typically found together in an operon. The α-carboxysome operon is embedded in a cluster of additional, conserved genes that are presumably related to its function. In many chemoautotrophs, products of the expanded carboxysome locus include CbbO and CbbQ, a member of the AAA+ domain superfamily. We bioinformatically identified subtypes of CbbQ proteins and show that their genes frequently co-occur with both Form IA and Form II RuBisCO. The α-carboxysome-associated ortholog, CsoCbbQ, from Halothiobacillus neapolitanus forms a hexamer in solution and hydrolyzes ATP. The crystal structure shows that CsoCbbQ is a hexamer of the typical AAA+ domain; the additional C-terminal domain, diagnostic of the CbbQ subfamily, structurally fills the inter-monomer gaps, resulting in a distinctly hexagonal shape. We show that CsoCbbQ interacts with CsoCbbO and is a component of the carboxysome shell, the first example of ATPase activity associated with a bacterial microcompartment.
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39
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Bagby SC, Chisholm SW. Response of Prochlorococcus to varying CO2:O2 ratios. THE ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:2232-45. [PMID: 25848872 PMCID: PMC4579476 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Carbon fixation has a central role in determining cellular redox poise, increasingly understood to be a key parameter in cyanobacterial physiology. In the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus-the most abundant phototroph in the oligotrophic oceans-the carbon-concentrating mechanism is reduced to the bare essentials. Given the ability of Prochlorococcus populations to grow under a wide range of oxygen concentrations in the ocean, we wondered how carbon and oxygen physiology intersect in this minimal phototroph. Thus, we examined how CO2:O2 gas balance influenced growth and chlorophyll fluorescence in Prochlorococcus strain MED4. Under O2 limitation, per-cell chlorophyll fluorescence fell at all CO2 levels, but still permitted substantial growth at moderate and high CO2. Under CO2 limitation, we observed little growth at any O2 level, although per-cell chlorophyll fluorescence fell less sharply when O2 was available. We explored this pattern further by monitoring genome-wide transcription in cells shocked with acute limitation of CO2, O2 or both. O2 limitation produced much smaller transcriptional changes than the broad suppression seen under CO2 limitation and CO2/O2 co-limitation. Strikingly, both CO2 limitation conditions initially evoked a transcriptional response that resembled the pattern previously seen in high-light stress, but at later timepoints we observed O2-dependent recovery of photosynthesis-related transcripts. These results suggest that oxygen has a protective role in Prochlorococcus when carbon fixation is not a sufficient sink for light energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Bagby
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sallie W Chisholm
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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40
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Gaudana SB, Zarzycki J, Moparthi VK, Kerfeld CA. Bioinformatic analysis of the distribution of inorganic carbon transporters and prospective targets for bioengineering to increase Ci uptake by cyanobacteria. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2015; 126:99-109. [PMID: 25399051 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-014-0059-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have evolved a carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM) which has enabled them to inhabit diverse environments encompassing a range of inorganic carbon (Ci: [Formula: see text] and CO2) concentrations. Several uptake systems facilitate inorganic carbon accumulation in the cell, which can in turn be fixed by ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. Here we survey the distribution of genes encoding known Ci uptake systems in cyanobacterial genomes and, using a pfam- and gene context-based approach, identify in the marine (alpha) cyanobacteria a heretofore unrecognized number of putative counterparts to the well-known Ci transporters of beta cyanobacteria. In addition, our analysis shows that there is a huge repertoire of transport systems in cyanobacteria of unknown function, many with homology to characterized Ci transporters. These can be viewed as prospective targets for conversion into ancillary Ci transporters through bioengineering. Increasing intracellular Ci concentration coupled with efforts to increase carbon fixation will be beneficial for the downstream conversion of fixed carbon into value-added products including biofuels. In addition to CCM transporter homologs, we also survey the occurrence of rhodopsin homologs in cyanobacteria, including bacteriorhodopsin, a class of retinal-binding, light-activated proton pumps. Because they are light driven and because of the apparent ease of altering their ion selectivity, we use this as an example of re-purposing an endogenous transporter for the augmentation of Ci uptake by cyanobacteria and potentially chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep B Gaudana
- DOE Plant Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Jan Zarzycki
- DOE Plant Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Vamsi K Moparthi
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- DOE Plant Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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41
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Cai F, Sutter M, Bernstein SL, Kinney JN, Kerfeld CA. Engineering bacterial microcompartment shells: chimeric shell proteins and chimeric carboxysome shells. ACS Synth Biol 2015; 4:444-53. [PMID: 25117559 DOI: 10.1021/sb500226j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are self-assembling organelles composed entirely of protein. Depending on the enzymes they encapsulate, BMCs function in either inorganic carbon fixation (carboxysomes) or organic carbon utilization (metabolosomes). The hallmark feature of all BMCs is a selectively permeable shell formed by multiple paralogous proteins, each proposed to confer specific flux characteristics. Gene clusters encoding diverse BMCs are distributed broadly across bacterial phyla, providing a rich variety of building blocks with a predicted range of permeability properties. In theory, shell permeability can be engineered by modifying residues flanking the pores (symmetry axes) of hexameric shell proteins or by combining shell proteins from different types of BMCs into chimeric shells. We undertook both approaches to altering shell properties using the carboxysome as a model system. There are two types of carboxysomes, α and β. In both, the predominant shell protein(s) contain a single copy of the BMC domain (pfam00936), but they are significantly different in primary structure. Indeed, phylogenetic analysis shows that the two types of carboxysome shell proteins are more similar to their counterparts in metabolosomes than to each other. We solved high resolution crystal structures of the major shell proteins, CsoS1 and CcmK2, and the presumed minor shell protein CcmK4, representing both types of cyanobacterial carboxysomes and then tested the interchangeability. The in vivo study presented here confirms that both engineering pores to mimic those of other shell proteins and the construction of chimeric shells is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Cai
- Physical
Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Markus Sutter
- Physical
Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Susan L. Bernstein
- Physical
Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - James N. Kinney
- Physical
Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Cheryl A. Kerfeld
- Physical
Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- MSU-DOE
Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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42
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Cai F, Dou Z, Bernstein SL, Leverenz R, Williams EB, Heinhorst S, Shively J, Cannon GC, Kerfeld CA. Advances in Understanding Carboxysome Assembly in Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus Implicate CsoS2 as a Critical Component. Life (Basel) 2015; 5:1141-71. [PMID: 25826651 PMCID: PMC4499774 DOI: 10.3390/life5021141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The marine Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus are the numerically dominant cyanobacteria in the ocean and important in global carbon fixation. They have evolved a CO2-concentrating-mechanism, of which the central component is the carboxysome, a self-assembling proteinaceous organelle. Two types of carboxysome, α and β, encapsulating form IA and form IB d-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, respectively, differ in gene organization and associated proteins. In contrast to the β-carboxysome, the assembly process of the α-carboxysome is enigmatic. Moreover, an absolutely conserved α-carboxysome protein, CsoS2, is of unknown function and has proven recalcitrant to crystallization. Here, we present studies on the CsoS2 protein in three model organisms and show that CsoS2 is vital for α-carboxysome biogenesis. The primary structure of CsoS2 appears tripartite, composed of an N-terminal, middle (M)-, and C-terminal region. Repetitive motifs can be identified in the N- and M-regions. Multiple lines of evidence suggest CsoS2 is highly flexible, possibly an intrinsically disordered protein. Based on our results from bioinformatic, biophysical, genetic and biochemical approaches, including peptide array scanning for protein-protein interactions, we propose a model for CsoS2 function and its spatial location in the α-carboxysome. Analogies between the pathway for β-carboxysome biogenesis and our model for α-carboxysome assembly are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Cai
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Zhicheng Dou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5043, USA.
| | - Susan L Bernstein
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Ryan Leverenz
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Eric B Williams
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5043, USA.
| | - Sabine Heinhorst
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5043, USA.
| | - Jessup Shively
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
| | - Gordon C Cannon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5043, USA.
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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43
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Ting CS, Dusenbury KH, Pryzant RA, Higgins KW, Pang CJ, Black CE, Beauchamp EM. The Prochlorococcus carbon dioxide-concentrating mechanism: evidence of carboxysome-associated heterogeneity. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2015; 123:45-60. [PMID: 25193505 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-014-0038-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability of Prochlorococcus to numerically dominate open ocean regions and contribute significantly to global carbon cycles is dependent in large part on its effectiveness in transforming light energy into compounds used in cell growth, maintenance, and division. Integral to these processes is the carbon dioxide-concentrating mechanism (CCM), which enhances photosynthetic CO2 fixation. The CCM involves both active uptake systems that permit intracellular accumulation of inorganic carbon as the pool of bicarbonate and the system of HCO3 (-) conversion into CO2. The latter is located in the carboxysome, a microcompartment designed to promote the carboxylase activity of Rubisco. This study presents a comparative analysis of several facets of the Prochlorococcus CCM. Our analyses indicate that a core set of CCM components is shared, and their genomic organization is relatively well conserved. Moreover, certain elements, including carboxysome shell polypeptides CsoS1 and CsoS4A, exhibit striking conservation. Unexpectedly, our analyses reveal that the carbonic anhydrase (CsoSCA) and CsoS2 shell polypeptide have diversified within the lineage. Differences in csoSCA and csoS2 are consistent with a model of unequal rates of evolution rather than relaxed selection. The csoS2 and csoSCA genes form a cluster in Prochlorococcus genomes, and we identified two conserved motifs directly upstream of this cluster that differ from the motif in marine Synechococcus and could be involved in regulation of gene expression. Although several elements of the CCM remain well conserved in the Prochlorococcus lineage, the evolution of differences in specific carboxysome features could in part reflect optimization of carboxysome-associated processes in dissimilar cellular environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S Ting
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Thompson Biology Lab 214, Williamstown, MA, 01267, USA,
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44
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Bacterial microcompartments and the modular construction of microbial metabolism. Trends Microbiol 2015; 23:22-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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de Lorenzo V, Sekowska A, Danchin A. Chemical reactivity drives spatiotemporal organisation of bacterial metabolism. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2014; 39:96-119. [PMID: 25227915 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6976.12089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we examine how bacterial metabolism is shaped by chemical constraints acting on the material and dynamic layout of enzymatic networks and beyond. These are moulded not only for optimisation of given metabolic objectives (e.g. synthesis of a particular amino acid or nucleotide) but also for curbing the detrimental reactivity of chemical intermediates. Besides substrate channelling, toxicity is avoided by barriers to free diffusion (i.e. compartments) that separate otherwise incompatible reactions, along with ways for distinguishing damaging vs. harmless molecules. On the other hand, enzymes age and their operating lifetime must be tuned to upstream and downstream reactions. This time dependence of metabolic pathways creates time-linked information, learning and memory. These features suggest that the physical structure of existing biosystems, from operon assemblies to multicellular development may ultimately stem from the need to restrain chemical damage and limit the waste inherent to basic metabolic functions. This provides a new twist of our comprehension of fundamental biological processes in live systems as well as practical take-home lessons for the forward DNA-based engineering of novel biological objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Program, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología CSIC, Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Agnieszka Sekowska
- AMAbiotics SAS, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moëlle Épinière, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Danchin
- AMAbiotics SAS, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moëlle Épinière, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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Hopkinson BM, Young JN, Tansik AL, Binder BJ. The minimal CO2-concentrating mechanism of Prochlorococcus spp. MED4 is effective and efficient. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 166:2205-17. [PMID: 25315602 PMCID: PMC4256842 DOI: 10.1104/pp.114.247049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
As an oligotrophic specialist, Prochlorococcus spp. has streamlined its genome and metabolism including the CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM), which serves to elevate the CO2 concentration around Rubisco. The genomes of Prochlorococcus spp. indicate that they have a simple CCM composed of one or two HCO3(-) pumps and a carboxysome, but its functionality has not been examined. Here, we show that the CCM of Prochlorococcus spp. is effective and efficient, transporting only two molecules of HCO3(-) per molecule of CO2 fixed. A mechanistic, numerical model with a structure based on the CCM components present in the genome is able to match data on photosynthesis, CO2 efflux, and the intracellular inorganic carbon pool. The model requires the carboxysome shell to be a major barrier to CO2 efflux and shows that excess Rubisco capacity is critical to attaining a high-affinity CCM without CO2 recovery mechanisms or high-affinity HCO3(-) transporters. No differences in CCM physiology or gene expression were observed when Prochlorococcus spp. was fully acclimated to high-CO2 (1,000 µL L(-1)) or low-CO2 (150 µL L(-1)) conditions. Prochlorococcus spp. CCM components in the Global Ocean Survey metagenomes were very similar to those in the genomes of cultivated strains, indicating that the CCM in environmental populations is similar to that of cultured representatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Hopkinson
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 (B.M.H., A.L.T., B.J.B.); andDepartment of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (J.N.Y.)
| | - Jodi N Young
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 (B.M.H., A.L.T., B.J.B.); andDepartment of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (J.N.Y.)
| | - Anna L Tansik
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 (B.M.H., A.L.T., B.J.B.); andDepartment of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (J.N.Y.)
| | - Brian J Binder
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 (B.M.H., A.L.T., B.J.B.); andDepartment of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (J.N.Y.)
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Production of bacterial microcompartments. Methods Mol Biol 2014. [PMID: 25358774 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2131-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein-based organelles that allow specific metabolic steps to be sequestered from the cytoplasmic environment. Compartmentalization of enzymes and pathway intermediates can increase flux through a metabolic pathway and protect the cell from toxic intermediates. BMCs thus offer the potential to increase the efficiency of engineered metabolic pathways. Moreover, as protein cages, BMCs may enable various other applications in biotechnology. These future applications of BMCs will require the ability to rapidly and efficiently produce BMCs for physical characterization and protein engineering. This chapter presents an analysis of approaches to expression and purification of BMCs and outlines a generalized strategy based on these approaches that can be used as a starting point for production of new BMCs.
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Axen SD, Erbilgin O, Kerfeld CA. A taxonomy of bacterial microcompartment loci constructed by a novel scoring method. PLoS Comput Biol 2014; 10:e1003898. [PMID: 25340524 PMCID: PMC4207490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are proteinaceous organelles involved in both autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism. All BMCs share homologous shell proteins but differ in their complement of enzymes; these are typically encoded adjacent to shell protein genes in genetic loci, or operons. To enable the identification and prediction of functional (sub)types of BMCs, we developed LoClass, an algorithm that finds putative BMC loci and inventories, weights, and compares their constituent pfam domains to construct a locus similarity network and predict locus (sub)types. In addition to using LoClass to analyze sequences in the Non-redundant Protein Database, we compared predicted BMC loci found in seven candidate bacterial phyla (six from single-cell genomic studies) to the LoClass taxonomy. Together, these analyses resulted in the identification of 23 different types of BMCs encoded in 30 distinct locus (sub)types found in 23 bacterial phyla. These include the two carboxysome types and a divergent set of metabolosomes, BMCs that share a common catalytic core and process distinct substrates via specific signature enzymes. Furthermore, many Candidate BMCs were found that lack one or more core metabolosome components, including one that is predicted to represent an entirely new paradigm for BMC-associated metabolism, joining the carboxysome and metabolosome. By placing these results in a phylogenetic context, we provide a framework for understanding the horizontal transfer of these loci, a starting point for studies aimed at understanding the evolution of BMCs. This comprehensive taxonomy of BMC loci, based on their constituent protein domains, foregrounds the functional diversity of BMCs and provides a reference for interpreting the role of BMC gene clusters encoded in isolate, single cell, and metagenomic data. Many loci encode ancillary functions such as transporters or genes for cofactor assembly; this expanded vocabulary of BMC-related functions should be useful for design of genetic modules for introducing BMCs in bioengineering applications. Some enzymatic transformations have undesirable side reactions, produce toxic or volatile intermediates, or are inefficient; these shortcomings can be alleviated through their sequestration with their substrates in a confined space, as in the membrane-bound organelles of eukaryotes. Recently, it was discovered that bacteria also form organelles–bacterial microcompartments (BMCs)–composed of a protein shell that surrounds functionally related enzymes. BMCs long evaded detection because they typically form only in the presence of the substrate they metabolize, and they can only be visualized by electron microscopy. A few BMCs have been experimentally characterized; they have diverse functions in CO2 fixation, pathogenesis, and niche colonization. While the encapsulated enzymes differ among functionally distinct BMCs, the shell architecture is conserved. This enables their detection computationally, as genes for shell proteins are typically nearby genes for the encapsulated enzymes. We developed a novel algorithm to comprehensively identify and categorize BMCs in sequenced bacterial genomes. We show that BMCs are often encoded adjacent to genes that play supporting roles to the organelle's function. Our results provide the first glimpse of the extent of BMC metabolic diversity and will inform design of genetic modules encoding BMCs for introduction of new metabolic functions in a plug-and-play approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth D. Axen
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, United States of America
| | - Onur Erbilgin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Cheryl A. Kerfeld
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Berkeley Synthetic Biology Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
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Balsera M, Uberegui E, Schürmann P, Buchanan BB. Evolutionary development of redox regulation in chloroplasts. Antioxid Redox Signal 2014; 21:1327-55. [PMID: 24483204 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2013.5817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE The post-translational modification of thiol groups stands out as a key strategy that cells employ for metabolic regulation and adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Nowhere is this more evident than in chloroplasts-the O2-evolving photosynthetic organelles of plant cells that are fitted with multiple redox systems, including the thioredoxin (Trx) family of oxidoreductases functional in the reversible modification of regulatory thiols of proteins in all types of cells. The best understood member of this family in chloroplasts is the ferredoxin-linked thioredoxin system (FTS) by which proteins are modified via light-dependent disulfide/dithiol (S-S/2SH) transitions. RECENT ADVANCES Discovered in the reductive activation of enzymes of the Calvin-Benson cycle in illuminated chloroplast preparations, recent studies have extended the role of the FTS far beyond its original boundaries to include a spectrum of cellular processes. Together with the NADP-linked thioredoxin reductase C-type (NTRC) and glutathione/glutaredoxin systems, the FTS also plays a central role in the response of chloroplasts to different types of stress. CRITICAL ISSUES The comparisons of redox regulatory networks functional in chloroplasts of land plants with those of cyanobacteria-prokaryotes considered to be the ancestors of chloroplasts-and different types of algae summarized in this review have provided new insight into the evolutionary development of redox regulation, starting with the simplest O2-evolving organisms. FUTURE DIRECTIONS The evolutionary appearance, mode of action, and specificity of the redox regulatory systems functional in chloroplasts, as well as the types of redox modification operating under diverse environmental conditions stand out as areas for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Balsera
- 1 Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca , Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Salamanca, Spain
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Whitehead L, Long BM, Price GD, Badger MR. Comparing the in vivo function of α-carboxysomes and β-carboxysomes in two model cyanobacteria. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 165:398-411. [PMID: 24642960 PMCID: PMC4012598 DOI: 10.1104/pp.114.237941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The carbon dioxide (CO2)-concentrating mechanism of cyanobacteria is characterized by the occurrence of Rubisco-containing microcompartments called carboxysomes within cells. The encapsulation of Rubisco allows for high-CO2 concentrations at the site of fixation, providing an advantage in low-CO2 environments. Cyanobacteria with Form-IA Rubisco contain α-carboxysomes, and cyanobacteria with Form-IB Rubisco contain β-carboxysomes. The two carboxysome types have arisen through convergent evolution, and α-cyanobacteria and β-cyanobacteria occupy different ecological niches. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first direct comparison of the carboxysome function from α-cyanobacteria (Cyanobium spp. PCC7001) and β-cyanobacteria (Synechococcus spp. PCC7942) with similar inorganic carbon (Ci; as CO2 and HCO3-) transporter systems. Despite evolutionary and structural differences between α-carboxysomes and β-carboxysomes, we found that the two strains are remarkably similar in many physiological parameters, particularly the response of photosynthesis to light and external Ci and their modulation of internal ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, phosphoglycerate, and Ci pools when grown under comparable conditions. In addition, the different Rubisco forms present in each carboxysome had almost identical kinetic parameters. The conclusions indicate that the possession of different carboxysome types does not significantly influence the physiological function of these species and that similar carboxysome function may be possessed by each carboxysome type. Interestingly, both carboxysome types showed a response to cytosolic Ci, which is of higher affinity than predicted by current models, being saturated by 5 to 15 mm Ci. This finding has bearing on the viability of transplanting functional carboxysomes into the C3 chloroplast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne Whitehead
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Benedict M. Long
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - G. Dean Price
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Murray R. Badger
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
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