Abstract
R-bodies, or refractile bodies, are polymeric protein structures first characterized in the bacterium Caedibacter taenospiralis. When exposed to acidic pH, R-bodies drastically change their conformation and size, going from a coiled ribbon of 0.5 µm to an extended one that can exceed 4 µm. The reb genes homologues, which encode the main components of R-bodies, are widely spread in the phy…