Bacterial inclusion bodies: making gold from waste.
Many protein species produced in recombinant bacteria aggregate as insoluble protein clusters named inclusion bodies (IBs). IBs are discarded from further processing or are eventually used as a pure protein source for in vitro refolding. Although usually considered as waste byproducts of protein production, recent insights into the physiology of recombinant bacteria and the molecular architecture of IBs have revealed that these protein particles are unexpected functional materials. In this Opinion article, we present the relevant mechanical properties of IBs and discuss the ways in which they can be explored as biocompatible nanostructured materials, mainly, but not exclusively, in biocatalysis and tissue engineering.
Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
Elena
E
García-Fruitós
Esther
E
Vázquez
César
C
Díez-Gil
José Luis
JL
Corchero
Joaquin
J
Seras-Franzoso
Imma
I
Ratera
Jaume
J
Veciana
Antonio
A
Villaverde
D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D055162:Biocatalysis; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins