Recent structural insights into bacterial microcompartment shells

• Published in: Current opinion in microbiology 2021-08, Vol.62, p.51-60
• Main Authors: Ochoa, Jessica M, Yeates, Todd O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Organelles
• ISSN: 1369-5274; 1879-0364
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.04.007

[Display omitted] •Sequence and topological variation in shell proteins lead to specialization.•Microcompartment shells proteins have varied quaternary structures.•A new online database facilitates microcompartment shell protein research.•Synthetic miniaturized microcompartment shells support and clarify early hypotheses.•New technologies may elucidate native architectures of bacterial microcompartments. Bacterial microcompartments are organelle-like structures that enhance a variety of metabolic functions in diverse bacteria. Composed entirely of proteins, thousands of homologous hexameric shell proteins tesselate to form facets while pentameric proteins form the vertices of a polyhedral shell that encapsulates various enzymes, substrates and cofactors. Recent structural data have highlighted nuanced variations in the sequence and topology of microcompartment shell proteins, emphasizing how variation and specialization enable the construction of complex molecular machines. Recent studies engineering synthetic miniaturized microcompartment shells provide additional frameworks for dissecting principles of microcompartment structure and assembly. This review updates our current understanding of bacterial microcompartment shell proteins, providing new insights and highlighting outstanding questions.