Franziska L Sendker, Yat Kei Lo, Thomas Heimerl, Stefan Bohn, Louise J Persson, Christopher-Nils Mais, Wiktoria Sadowska, Nicole Paczia, Eva Nußbaum, María Del Carmen Sánchez Olmos, Karl Forchhammer, Daniel Schindler, Tobias J Erb, Justin L P Benesch, Erik G Marklund, Gert Bange, Jan M Schuller, Georg K A Hochberg
Fractals are patterns that are self-similar across multiple length-scales1 . Macroscopic fractals are common in nature2-4 ; however, so far, molecular assembly into fractals is restricted to synthetic systems5-12 . Here we report the discovery of a natural protein, citrate synthase from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus, which self-assembles into Sierpiński triangles. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we reveal how the fractal assembles from a hexameric building block. Although different stimuli modulate the formation of fractal complexes and these complexes can regulate the enzymatic activity of citrate synthase in vitro, the fractal may not serve a physiological function in vivo...
April 10, 2024: Nature