title: Bacterial Inclusion Bodies: Discovering Their Better Half.
abstract: Bacterial inclusion bodies (IBs) are functional, non-toxic amyloids occurring in recombinant bacteria showing analogies with secretory granules of the mammalian endocrine system. The scientific interest in these mesoscale protein aggregates has been historically masked by their status as a hurdle in recombinant protein production. However, progressive understanding of how the cell handles the quality of recombinant polypeptides and the main features of their intriguing molecular organization has stimulated the interest in inclusion bodies and spurred their use in diverse technological fields. The engineering and tailoring of IBs as functional protein particles for materials science and biomedicine is a good example of how formerly undesired bacterial byproducts can be rediscovered as promising functional materials for a broad spectrum of applications.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz University of Hannover, Technical Chemistry and Life Science, Hannover, Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rinas
authors.affiliation: Department of Ruminant Production, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garcia-Fruitós
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Corchero
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Research Center for Nanomedicine (Cibbim-Nanomedicine), Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron, 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seras-Franzoso
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Electronic address: antoni.villaverde@uab.es.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villaverde
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*