The encapsulin from Thermatoga maritima is a flavoprotein with a symmetry matched ferritin-like cargo protein
Bacterial nanocompartments, also known as encapsulins, are an emerging class of protein-based organelles found in bacteria and archaea. Encapsulins are virus-like icosahedral particles comprising a [~]25-50 nm shell surrounding a specific cargo enzyme. Compartmentalization is thought to create a unique chemical environment to facilitate catalysis and isolate toxic intermediates. Many questions regarding nanocompartment structure-function remain unanswered, including how shell symmetry dictates cargo loading and to what extent the shell facilitates enzymatic activity. Here, we explore these questions using the model T. maritima nanocompartment known to encapsulate a redox-active ferritin-like protein. Biochemical analysis revealed the encapsulin shell to possess a flavin binding site located at the interface between capsomere subunits, suggesting the shell may play a direct and active role in the function of the encapsulated cargo. Furthermore, we used cryoEM to show that cargo proteins use a form of symmetry-matching to facilitate encapsulation and define stoichiometry. In the case of the T. maritima encapsulin, the decameric cargo protein with 5-fold symmetry preferentially binds to the pentameric-axis of the icosahedral shell. Taken together, these observations suggest the shell is not simply a passive barrier--it also plays a significant role in the structure and function of the cargo enzyme.