Term Name: | encapsulin nanocompartment |
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Synonyms: | protein nanocompartment |
Definition: | Intracellular non-membrane bound organelle, consisting of proteinaceous polyhedral shells that encapsulate enzymes, protecting the contents from their surrounding milieu and/or the milieu from reactants in their interior. The self-assembling, 25-42 nm nanocompartment shell, unlike larger bacterial microcompartments, is made of only one protein, and has only a few proteins inside. Shells about vary from about 25-42 nm in diameter. The shell protein has an HK97-like fold and probably evolved from a viral protein. Artificial encapsulin nanocompartments can be expressed and filled with cargo proteins for biotechnological uses. They are found in many bacterial and a few archaeal phyla. |
Ontology: | GO: Cellular Component [GO:0140737] QuickGO AmiGO |