Flechsler, Jennifer and Heimerl, Thomas and Huber, Harald and Rachel, Reinhard and Berg, Ivan A. (2021) Functional compartmentalization and metabolic separation in a prokaryotic cell. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 118 (25). e2022114118. ISSN 0027-8424
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
The prokaryotic cell is traditionally seen as a "bag of enzymes," yet its organization is much more complex than in this simplified view. By now, various microcompartments encapsulating metabolic enzymes or pathways are known for Bacteria. These microcompartments are usually small, encapsulating and concentrating only a few enzymes, thus protecting the cell from toxic intermediates or preventing unwanted side reactions. The hyperthermophilic, strictly anaerobic Crenarchaeon Ignicoccus hospitalis is an extraordinary organism possessing two membranes, an inner and an energized outer membrane. The outer membrane (termed here outer cytoplasmic membrane) harbors enzymes involved in proton gradient generation and ATP synthesis. These two membranes are separated by an intermembrane compartment, whose function is unknown. Major information processes like DNA replication, RNA synthesis, and protein biosynthesis are located inside the "cytoplasm" or central cytoplasmic compartment. Here, we show by immunogold labeling of ultrathin sections that enzymes involved in autotrophic CO2 assimilation are located in the intermembrane compartment that we name (now) a peripheric cytoplasmic compartment. This separation may protect DNA and RNA from reactive aldehydes arising in the I. hospitalis carbon metabolism. This compartmentalization of metabolic pathways and information processes is unprecedented in the prokaryotic world, representing a unique example of spatiofunctional compartmentalization in the second domain of life.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ARCHAEON IGNICOCCUS-HOSPITALIS; AUTOTROPHIC CARBON FIXATION; OUTER-MEMBRANE; GEN. NOV.; PROTEIN; METHYLGLYOXAL; ASSIMILATION; REDUCTASE; COENZYME; INSIGHTS; Archaea; compartmentalization; CO2 fixation; immunogold labeling |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 570 Life sciences |
| Divisions: | Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Biochemie, Genetik und Mikrobiologie > Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie (Archaeenzentrum) > Prof. Dr. Reinhard Rachel |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 18 Aug 2022 04:56 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Aug 2022 04:56 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/46680 |
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