Their future strategies include customizing these structures to enhance their functionality and incorporating them into plants to evaluate their efficiency in increasing photosynthesis.A team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has actually made considerable development in understanding carboxysomes, which are structures in specific germs and algae that fix carbon. Credit: HKUSTIn particular, the group utilized single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to figure out the structure of α-carboxysome and characterize the assembly pattern of the protein shell, which looks like a 20-sided shape with specific proteins set up on its surface.To acquire the structure of the very little α-carboxysome with a diameter of 86 nm, they collected over 23,400 images taken from the microscope at the HKUST Biological Cryo-EM Center and by hand selected about 32,000 intact α-carboxysome particles for analysis.Internal Structure and Assembly of CarboxysomesInside, the RuBisCO enzymes are arranged in 3 concentric layers, and the research study group likewise found that a protein called CsoS2 helps to hold everything together inside the shell. “Our understanding of the CO2 fixation system of marine cyanobacteria will allow us to enhance their CO2 fixation rate so that more CO2 can be eliminated from the environment,” he says.Following this research study, the group plans to introduce Prochlorococcus α-carboxysome into plant chloroplasts and examine whether the minimal α-carboxysome can improve the photosynthetic performance in plants.
Their future plans consist of modifying these structures to enhance their performance and integrating them into plants to check their efficiency in increasing photosynthesis.A team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has actually made considerable development in comprehending carboxysomes, which are structures in certain bacteria and algae that repair carbon. Credit: HKUSTIn particular, the team made use of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to figure out the structure of α-carboxysome and characterize the assembly pattern of the protein shell, which looks like a 20-sided shape with specific proteins organized on its surface.To acquire the structure of the very little α-carboxysome with a diameter of 86 nm, they gathered over 23,400 images taken from the microscopic lense at the HKUST Biological Cryo-EM Center and by hand selected about 32,000 undamaged α-carboxysome particles for analysis.Internal Structure and Assembly of CarboxysomesInside, the RuBisCO enzymes are arranged in 3 concentric layers, and the research study team also discovered that a protein called CsoS2 helps to hold everything together inside the shell. “Our understanding of the CO2 fixation mechanism of marine cyanobacteria will allow us to enhance their CO2 fixation rate so that more CO2 can be eliminated from the atmosphere,” he says.Following this study, the group prepares to introduce Prochlorococcus α-carboxysome into plant chloroplasts and examine whether the minimal α-carboxysome can enhance the photosynthetic effectiveness in plants.
