Microcompartment

A bacterial protein-shelled organelle in which a selectively permeable polyhedral shell encapsulates pathway enzymes to segregate segments of metabolism from the cytosol.

A bacterial microcompartment — a polyhedral, selectively permeable protein shell about 100–200 nm across — that encapsulates RuBisCO and carbonic anhydrase to concentrate CO2 around RuBisCO in cyanobacteria and many chemoautotrophs. Alpha-carboxysomes (cso genes) and beta-carboxysomes (ccm genes) evolved their shells and scaffolds independently.

The polyhedral protein coat of alpha- and beta-carboxysomes, built from BMC-H, BMC-T, and BMC-P shell proteins that enclose RuBisCO and carbonic anhydrase while controlling metabolite traffic between the lumen and cytosol.

A proteinaceous nanocompartment, 24 to 42 nm across, built from a single HK97-fold shell protein that self-assembles into an icosahedron. Cargo enzymes are packaged inside by a short targeting peptide that binds the shell interior; the commonest cargoes are ferritin-like iron-mineralising proteins and peroxidases.

An organelle found in bacteria consisting of a proteinaceous coat containing enzymes for the degradation of ethanolamine whose purpose is the protection of the rest of the cell from the toxic acetaldehyde product of the enzyme ethanolamine ammonia lyase.

An organelle found in bacteria consisting of a proteinaceous coat containing enzymes for the degradation of 1,2-propanediol whose purpose is the protection of the rest of the cell from the toxic propionaldehyde product of the enzyme diol dehydratase.