Spatially Ordered Dynamics of the Bacterial Carbon Fixation Machinery

Abstract

Carboxysomes in a Row The carboxysome is an organelle-like proteinaceous microcompartment that sequesters the enzymes of carbon fixation from the rest of the cytoplasm in cyanobacteria. Cyanobacterial carbon fixation is a major component of the global carbon cycle. Savage et al. (p. 1258 ) now show that carboxysomes are linearly arranged within the cytoplasm in a process that involves the bacterial cytoskeleton. This arrangement is important in carboxysome partitioning during cell division. When carboxysome partitioning is disrupted by interfering with the bacterial cytoskeleton, carbon fixation is impaired.