Uncovering assembly principles of a multiprotein microcompartment for biotechnology and biomedicine applications.

Stefanie Frank (primary)
Department of Biochemical Engineering
UCL
Renos Savva (secondary)
Department of Biological Sciences
Birkbeck (ISMB)

Abstract

The primary project driver is the nature-inspired design and construction of synthetic protein compartments, based on naturally existing bacterial organelles, as novel systems for biotechnology applications. Key to de novo design is (1) in-depth understanding of how natural multiprotein complexes are assembled and functionally diversified, (2) robust self-assembly and protein encapsulation, and (3) modularity of the components. We will build on our expertise in generating recombinant versions of well-studied bacterial microcompartments to assemble and obtain structural-functional understanding of a recently discovered BMC to address (1) and expand our toolbox for the engineering of synthetic BMCs with desired properties for (2)(3).


References

1. Planamente, S., & Frank, S. (2019). Bio-engineering of bacterial microcompartments: a mini review. Biochemical Society Transactions, 47(3), 765-777.
2. Ferlez, B., Sutter, M., & Kerfeld, C. A. (2019). Glycyl Radical Enzyme-Associated Microcompartments: Redox-Replete Bacterial Organelles. mBio, 10(1), e02327-18.
3. Jameson, E., Fu, T., Brown, I. R., Paszkiewicz, K., Purdy, K. J., Frank, S., & Chen, Y. (2016). Anaerobic choline metabolism in microcompartments promotes growth and swarming of P roteus mirabilis. Environmental microbiology, 18(9), 2886-2898.
4. Kalnins, G., Cesle, E. E., Jansons, J., Liepins, J., Filimonenko, A., & Tars, K. (2020). Encapsulation mechanisms and structural studies of GRM2 bacterial microcompartment particles. Nature communications, 11(1), 1-13.
5. Cesle, E. E., Filimonenko, A., Tars, K., & Kalnins, G. (2021). Variety of size and form of GRM2 bacterial microcompartment particles. Protein Science, 30(5), 1035-1043.


BBSRC Area
Genes, development and STEM* approaches to biology
Area of Biology
BiotechnologyStructural Biology
Techniques & Approaches
BiochemistryBioinformaticsBiophysicsGeneticsImage ProcessingMicroscopy / ElectrophysiologyMolecular BiologySimulation / Modelling