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Title | Structure of Anabaena flos-aquae gas vesicles revealed by cryo-ET. |
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Journal, issue, pages | Structure, Vol. 31, Issue 5, Page 518-528.e6, Year 2023 |
Publish date | May 4, 2023 |
Authors | Przemysław Dutka / Lauren Ann Metskas / Robert C Hurt / Hossein Salahshoor / Ting-Yu Wang / Dina Malounda / George J Lu / Tsui-Fen Chou / Mikhail G Shapiro / Grant J Jensen / |
PubMed Abstract | Gas vesicles (GVs) are gas-filled protein nanostructures employed by several species of bacteria and archaea as flotation devices to enable access to optimal light and nutrients. The unique physical ...Gas vesicles (GVs) are gas-filled protein nanostructures employed by several species of bacteria and archaea as flotation devices to enable access to optimal light and nutrients. The unique physical properties of GVs have led to their use as genetically encodable contrast agents for ultrasound and MRI. Currently, however, the structure and assembly mechanism of GVs remain unknown. Here we employ cryoelectron tomography to reveal how the GV shell is formed by a helical filament of highly conserved GvpA subunits. This filament changes polarity at the center of the GV cylinder, a site that may act as an elongation center. Subtomogram averaging reveals a corrugated pattern of the shell arising from polymerization of GvpA into a β sheet. The accessory protein GvpC forms a helical cage around the GvpA shell, providing structural reinforcement. Together, our results help explain the remarkable mechanical properties of GVs and their ability to adopt different diameters and shapes. |
External links | Structure / PubMed:37040766 / PubMed Central |
Methods | EM (subtomogram averaging) / EM (tomography) |
Resolution | 8.0 Å |
Structure data | EMDB-29916: Subtomogram average of the AnaS GV shell EMDB-29921: Subtomogram average of the native Ana GV shell EMDB-29922: Cryo-tomogram of the native Ana GV EMDB-29923: Cryo-tomogram of the Halo GV (c-vac) EMDB-29924: Cryo-tomogram of Halo GV (p-vac) EMDB-29925: Cryo-tomogram of the Mega GVs |
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Keywords | CYTOSOLIC PROTEIN / Gas vesicles / Flotation / cyanobacteria |