Journal Article

De novo targeting to the cytoplasmic and luminal side of bacterial microcompartments

Woolfson, Derek N., Warren, Martin J., Mantell, Judith, Frank, Stefanie, Lee, Matthew J., Pickersgill, Richard W., Verkade, Paul, Brown, Ian R., Fletcher, Jordan M.

2018

Overview

Bacterial microcompartments, BMCs, are proteinaceous organelles that encase a specific metabolic pathway within a semi-permeable protein shell. Short encapsulation peptides can direct cargo proteins to the lumen of the compartments. However, the fusion of such peptides to non-native proteins does not guarantee encapsulation and often causes aggregation. Here, we report an approach for targeting recombinant proteins to BMCs that utilizes specific de novo coiled-coil protein–protein interactions. Attachment of one coiled-coil module to PduA (a component of the BMC shell) allows targeting of a fluorescent protein fused to a cognate coiled-coil partner. This interaction takes place on the outer surface of the BMC. The redesign of PduA to generate an N-terminus on the luminal side of the BMC results in intact compartments to which proteins can still be targeted via the designed coiled-coil system. This study provides a strategy to display proteins on the surface or within the lumen of the BMCs. Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are protein-bound organelles encapsulating segments of metabolic pathways. Here the authors utilize specific de novo coiled-coil protein-protein interactions to display proteins on the outer or inner surface of BMCs.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 14 / 14/28 / 631/1647/2234 / 631/61/318 / 631/61/338/469 / 82/80 / Bacteria - metabolism / Bacteria - ultrastructure / Bacterial Proteins - chemistry / Bacterial Proteins - metabolism / Cargo compartments / Coils / Compartments / Cytoplasm - metabolism / Cytoplasm - ultrastructure / Encapsulation / Fluorescence / Humanities and Social Sciences / multidisciplinary / N-Terminus / Organelles / Peptides / Protein Binding / Protein interaction / Protein Structure, Secondary / Proteins / Redesign / Science / Science (multidisciplinary)