Role of carboxysomes in cyanobacterial CO2 assimilation: CO2 concentrating mechanisms and metabolon implications

Many carbon-fixing organisms have evolved CO₂ concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) to enhance the delivery of CO₂ to RuBisCO, while minimizing reactions with the competitive inhibitor, molecular O₂. These distinct types of CCMs have been extensively studied using genetics, biochemistry, cell imaging, mass spectrometry, and metabolic flux analysis. Highlighted in this paper, the cyanobacterial CCM features a bacterial microcompartment (BMC) called ‘carboxysome’ in which RuBisCO is co-encapsulated with the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) within a semi-permeable protein shell. The cyanobacterial CCM is capable of increasing CO₂ around RuBisCO, leading to one of the most efficient processes known for fixing ambient CO₂. The carboxysome life cycle is dynamic and creates a unique subcellular environment that promotes activity of the Calvin–Benson (CB) cycle. The carboxysome may function within a larger cellular metabolon, physical association of functionally coupled proteins, to enhance metabolite channelling and carbon flux. In light of CCMs, synthetic biology approaches have been used to improve enzyme complex for CO₂ fixations. Research on CCM-associated metabolons has also inspired biologists to engineer multi-step pathways by providing anchoring points for enzyme cascades to channel intermediate metabolites towards valuable products.