Lars Malmstroem, Ph.D.

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F1000 is a scientific literature awareness tool where selected researchers review and comment on current papers. I'm an associate member and hence can post reviews together with Ruedi Aebersold who is a full member. Please find my posts below.

2010-01-13: Structure and mechanisms of a protein-based organelle in Escherichia coli.

In this study, X-ray structures of four microcompartment proteins that are the components of the protein-based organelle capsule explain how bent conformations are achieved and reveal an active gating function.

There is growing evidence that bacteria are, in fact, not devoid of internal compartmentalization but are rather highly organized. For example, bacterial proteins are to a large extent organized in protein complexes {1} and are sometimes localized to specific regions of the cytosol {2}; in addition, there is also evidence for protein-encapsulated organelles (see ref {3}, on which Ruedi Aebersold is an author). In this paper, Tanaka and colleagues reveal how one of the shell proteins has a bent conformation which allows these microcompartments to close. They also show that there is an active gate that presumably regulates the in- and out-flow of various molecular species. This paper adds to the evidence that the proteomes of bacteria are highly structured and compartmentalized.

References: {1} Kuehner et al. Science 2009, 326:1235-40 [PMID:16081736]. {2} Shapiro et al. Science 2009, 326:1225-8 [PMID:19965466]. {3} Kerfeld et al. Science 2005, 309:936-8 [PMID:19965468].

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