title: Effect of bio-engineering on size, shape, composition and rigidity of bacterial microcompartments.
abstract: Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are proteinaceous organelles that are found in a broad range of bacteria and are composed of an outer shell that encases an enzyme cargo representing a specific metabolic process. The outer shell is made from a number of different proteins that form hexameric and pentameric tiles, which interact to allow the formation of a polyhedral edifice. We have previously shown that the Citrobacter freundii BMC associated with 1,2-propanediol utilization can be transferred into Escherichia coli to generate a recombinant BMC and that empty BMCs can be formed from just the shell proteins alone. Herein, a detailed structural and proteomic characterization of the wild type BMC is compared to the recombinant BMC and a number of empty BMC variants by 2D-gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Specifically, it is shown that the wild type BMC and the recombinant BMC are similar in terms of composition, size, shape and mechanical properties, whereas the empty BMC variants are shown to be smaller, hollow and less malleable.
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Centre and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
authors.forename: Matthias J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Centre and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
authors.forename: Rokas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Juodeikis
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Centre and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gordon Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Centre and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Centre and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deery
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Centre and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Beal
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Centre and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
authors.forename: Wei-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Industrial Biotechnology Centre and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Warren
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D057005:Bioengineering; D016971:Citrobacter freundii / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015388:Organelles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019946:Propylene Glycol / Q000378:metabolism; D040901:Proteomics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D019946:Propylene Glycol