Structure and Mechanisms of a Protein-Based Organelle in Escherichia coli

Abstract

Bacterial Compartmentalization In diverse bacteria, reactions that involve toxic or volatile metabolites are carried out by enzymes inside proteinaceous microcompartments. Tanaka et al. (p. 81 ; see the Perspective by Kang and Douglas ) now report high-resolution crystal structures for four homologous proteins that are constituents of the shell that sequesters the metabolism of ethanolamine in bacteria. While the structures have similar overall folds, they have distinctive structural features that provide insight into how they build the shell and participate in microcompartment function.