Biotechnological advances in bacterial microcompartment technology

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) represent proteinaceous macromolecular

nano-bioreactors that are found in a broad range of bacteria, and which are

associated with either anabolic or catabolic processes. They consist of a semipermeable

outer shell that packages a central metabolic enzyme or pathway,

providing both enhanced flux and protection against toxic intermediates.

Recombinant production of BMCs has led to their repurposing with the incorporation

of altogether new pathways. Deconstruction of BMCs into their component parts has

shown that some individual shell proteins self-associate into filaments that can be

further modified into a cytoplasmic scaffold to which enzymes/proteins can be

targeted. BMCs therefore represent a modular system that is highly suited for the

engineering of biological systems for useful purposes.