Bacterial microcompartment organization by cryo electron tomography and high-resolution subtomogram averaging

Roughly 20% of bacteria employ bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) to sequester dangerous or inefficient enzymatic processes. In these structures, a cargo of enzymes and accessory proteins is encased within a semi-permeable protein shell that permits passage of substrates and products but restricts movement of intermediates. In addition to their importance as a component of many bacterial species' metabolisms, BMCs have become a target of protein engineering due to their potential for alternative pharmacological and biotechnological applications.