Assembly of the algal CO <sub>2</sub> -fixing organelle, the pyrenoid, is guided by a Rubisco-binding motif
Moritz T. Meyer, Alan K. Itakura, Weronika Patena, Lianyong Wang, Shan He, Tom Z. Emrich‐Mills, Chun Sing Lau, Gary F. Yates, Luke C. M. Mackinder, Martin C. Jonikas
Abstract
, we found that pyrenoid proteins share a sequence motif. We show that the motif is necessary and sufficient to target proteins to the pyrenoid and that the motif binds to Rubisco, suggesting a mechanism for targeting. The presence of the Rubisco-binding motif on proteins that localize to the tubules and on proteins that localize to the matrix-starch sheath interface suggests that the motif holds the pyrenoid's three subcompartments together. Our findings advance our understanding of pyrenoid biogenesis and illustrate how a single protein motif can underlie the architecture of a complex multilayered phase-separated organelle.