Filament formation by metabolic enzymes is a specific adaptation to an advanced state of cellular starvation

Enzymatic complexes across scales

An unprecedented opportunity to integrate ~100 years of meticulous in vitro biomolecular research is currently provided in the light of recent advances in methods to visualize closer-to-native architectures of biomolecular machines, and metabolic enzymes in particular. Traditional views of enzymes, namely biomolecular machines, only partially explain their role, organization and kinetics in the cellular milieu. Enzymes self- or hetero-associate, form fibers, may bind to membranes or cytoskeletal elements, have regulatory roles, associate into higher order assemblies (metabolons) or even actively participate in phase-separated membraneless organelles, and all the above in a transient, temporal and spatial manner in response to environmental changes or structural/functional changes of their assemblies. Here, we focus on traditional and emerging concepts in cellular biochemistry and discuss new opportunities in bridging structural, molecular and cellular analyses for metabolic pathways, accumulated over the years, highlighting functional aspects of enzymatic complexes discussed across different levels of spatial resolution.

Interfilament interaction between IMPDH and CTPS cytoophidia

Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) and cytidine triphosphate synthase (CTPS) are two metabolic enzymes that perform rate‐limiting steps in the de novo synthesis of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides, respectively. It has been shown that IMPDH and CTPS can comprise a filamentous macrostructure termed the cytoophidium, which may play a role in regulation of their catalytic activity. Although these two proteins may colocalise in the same cytoophidium, how they associate with one another is still elusive. As reported herein, we established a model HeLa cell line coexpressing OFP‐tagged IMPDH2 and GFP‐tagged CTPS1 and recorded the assembly, disassembly and movement of the cytoophidium in live cells. Moreover, by using super‐resolution confocal imaging, we demonstrate how IMPDH‐ and CTPS‐based filaments are aligned or intertwined in the mixed cytoophidium. Collectively, our findings provide a panorama of cytoophidium dynamics and suggest that IMPDH and CTPS cytoophidia may coordinate by interfilament interaction.

Misfolding-prone proteins are reversibly sequestered to an Hsp42-associated granule upon chronological aging

Alteration of protein localization is an important strategy for cells to regulate protein homeostasis upon environmental stresses. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, many proteins relocalize and form cytosolic granules during chronological aging. However, the functions and exact components of these protein granules remain uncharacterized in most cases. In this study, we performed a genome-wide analysis of protein localization in stationary phase cells, leading to the discovery of 307 granule-forming proteins and the identification of new components in the Hsp42-stationary phase granule (Hsp42-SPG), P-bodies, Ret2 granules and actin bodies. We further characterized the Hsp42-SPG, which contains the largest number of protein components, including many molecular chaperones, metabolic enzymes and regulatory proteins. Formation of the Hsp42-SPG efficiently downregulates the activities of sequestered components, which can be differentially released from the granule based on environmental cues. We found a similar structure in the pre-whole genome duplication yeast species, Lachancea kluyveri, suggesting that the Hsp42-SPG is a common machinery allowing chronologically aged cells to contend with changing environments when available energy is limited. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Analysis of eIF2B bodies and their relationships with stress granules and P-bodies

Eukaryotic cells respond to stress and changes in the environment in part by repressing translation and forming cytoplasmic assemblies called stress granules and P-bodies, which harbor non-translating mRNAs and proteins. A third, but poorly understood, assembly called the eIF2B body can form and contains the eIF2B complex, an essential guanine exchange factor for the translation initiation factor eIF2. Hypomorphic EIF2B alleles can lead to Vanishing White Matter Disease (VWMD), a leukodystrophy that causes progressive white matter loss. An unexplored question is how eIF2B body formation is controlled and whether VWMD alleles in EIF2B alter the formation of eIF2B bodies, stress granules, or P-bodies. To examine these issues, we assessed eIF2B body, stress granule, and P-body induction in wild-type yeast cells and cells carrying VWMD alleles in the EIF2B2 (GCD7) and EIF2B5 (GCD6) subunits of eIF2B. We demonstrate eIF2B bodies are rapidly and reversibly formed independently of stress granules during acute glucose deprivation. VWMD mutations had diverse effects on stress-induced assemblies with some alleles altering eIF2B bodies, and others leading to increased P-body formation. Moreover, some VWMD-causing mutations in GCD7 caused hyper-sensitivity to chronic GCN2 activation, consistent with VWMD mutations causing hyper-sensitivity to eIF2α phosphorylation and thereby impacting VWMD pathogenesis.

Atomic insights into the genesis of cellular filaments by globular proteins

Self-assembly of proteins into filaments, such as actin and tubulin filaments, underlies essential cellular processes in all three domains of life. The early emergence of filaments in evolutionary history suggests that filament genesis might be a robust process. Here we describe the fortuitous construction of GFP fusion proteins that self-assemble as fluorescent polar filaments in Escherichia coli. Filament formation is achieved by appending as few as 12 residues. Crystal structures reveal that the protomers each donate an appendage to fill a groove between two following protomers along the filament. This exchange of appendages resembles runaway domain swapping but is distinguished by higher efficiency because monomers cannot competitively bind their own appendages. Ample evidence of this “runaway domain coupling” mechanism in nature suggests it could facilitate the evolutionary pathway from globular protein to polar filament, requiring a minimal extension of protein sequence and no significant refolding.

Reversible, functional amyloids: towards an understanding of their regulation in yeast and humans

Protein aggregates, and in particular amyloids, are generally considered to be inherently irreversible aberrant clumps, and are often associated with pathologies, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or systemic amyloidosis. However, recent evidence demonstrates that some aggregates are not only fully reversible, but also perform essential physiological functions. Despite these new findings, very little is known about how these functional protein aggregates are regulated in a physiological context. Here, we take the yeast pyruvate kinase Cdc19 as an example of a protein forming functional, reversible, solid, amyloid-like aggregates in response to stress conditions. Cdc19 aggregation is regulated via an aggregation-prone low complexity region (LCR). In favorable growth conditions, this LCR is prevented from aggregating by phosphorylation or oligomerization, while upon glucose starvation it becomes exposed and allows aggregation. We suggest that LCR phosphorylation, oligomerization or partner-binding may be general and widespread mechanisms regulating LCR-mediated reversible protein aggregation. Moreover, we show that, as predicted by computational tools, Cdc19 forms amyloid-like aggregates in vitro. Interestingly, we also observe striking similarities between Cdc19 and its mammalian counterpart, PKM2. Indeed, also PKM2 harbors a LCR and contains several peptides with high amyloidogenic propensity, which coincide with known phosphorylation sites. Thus, we speculate that the formation of reversible, amyloid-like aggregates may be a general physiological mechanism for cells to adapt to stress conditions, and that the underlying regulatory mechanisms may be conserved from yeast to humans.

Protein aggregates encode epigenetic memory of stressful encounters in individual Escherichia coli cells

Protein misfolding and aggregation are typically perceived as inevitable and detrimental processes tied to a stress- or age-associated decline in cellular proteostasis. A careful reassessment of this paradigm in the E. coli model bacterium revealed that the emergence of intracellular protein aggregates (PAs) was not related to cellular aging but closely linked to sublethal proteotoxic stresses such as exposure to heat, peroxide, and the antibiotic streptomycin. After removal of the proteotoxic stress and resumption of cellular proliferation, the polarly deposited PA was subjected to limited disaggregation and therefore became asymmetrically inherited for a large number of generations. Many generations after the original PA-inducing stress, the cells inheriting this ancestral PA displayed a significantly increased heat resistance compared to their isogenic, PA-free siblings. This PA-mediated inheritance of heat resistance could be reproduced with a conditionally expressed, intracellular PA consisting of an inert, aggregation-prone mutant protein, validating the role of PAs in increasing resistance and indicating that the resistance-conferring mechanism does not depend on the origin of the PA. Moreover, PAs were found to confer robustness to other proteotoxic stresses, as imposed by reactive oxygen species or streptomycin exposure, suggesting a broad protective effect. Our findings therefore reveal the potential of intracellular PAs to serve as long-term epigenetically inheritable and functional memory elements, physically referring to a previous cellular insult that occurred many generations ago and meanwhile improving robustness to a subsequent proteotoxic stress. The latter is presumably accomplished through the PA-mediated asymmetric inheritance of protein quality control components leading to their specific enrichment in PA-bearing cells.

The run-on oligomer filament enzyme mechanism of SgrAI: Part 1. Assembly kinetics of the run-on oligomer filament

Filament or run-on oligomer formation by metabolic enzymes is now recognized as a widespread phenomenon having potentially unique enzyme regulatory properties and biological roles, and its dysfunction is implicated in human diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and developmental disorders. SgrAI is a bacterial allosteric type II restriction endonuclease that binds to invading phage DNA, may protect the host DNA from off-target cleavage activity, and forms run-on oligomeric filaments with enhanced DNA-cleavage activity and altered DNA sequence specificity. However, the mechanisms of SgrAI filament growth, cooperativity in filament formation, sequestration of enzyme activity, and advantages over other filament mechanisms remain unknown. In this first of a two-part series, we developed methods and models to derive association and dissociation rate constants of DNA-bound SgrAI in run-on oligomers and addressed the specific questions of cooperativity and filament growth mechanisms. We show that the derived rate constants are consistent with the run-on oligomer sizes determined by EM analysis and are most consistent with a noncooperative growth mode of the run-on oligomer. These models and methods are extended in the accompanying article to include the full DNA-cleavage pathway and address specific questions related to the run-on oligomer mechanism including the sequestration of DNA-cleavage activity and trapping of products.

The run-on oligomer filament enzyme mechanism of SgrAI: Part 2. Kinetic modeling of the full DNA cleavage pathway

Filament or run-on oligomer formation by enzymes is now recognized as a widespread phenomenon with potentially unique enzyme regulatory properties and biological roles. SgrAI is an allosteric type II restriction endonuclease that forms run-on oligomeric filaments with activated DNA cleavage activity and altered DNA sequence specificity. In this two-part work, we measure individual steps in the run-on oligomer filament mechanism to address specific questions of cooperativity, trapping, filament growth mechanisms, and sequestration of activity using fluorophore-labeled DNA, kinetic FRET measurements, and reaction modeling with global data fitting. The final models and rate constants show that the assembly step involving association of SgrAI-DNA complexes into the run-on oligomer filament is relatively slow (3-4 orders of magnitude slower than diffusion limited) and rate-limiting at low to moderate concentrations of SgrAI-DNA. The disassembly step involving dissociation of complexes of SgrAI-DNA from each other in the run-on oligomer filament is the next slowest step but is fast enough to limit the residence time of any one copy of SgrAI or DNA within the dynamic filament. Further, the rate constant for DNA cleavage is found to be 4 orders of magnitude faster in the run-on oligomer filament than in isolated SgrAI-DNA complexes and faster than dissociation of SgrAI-DNA complexes from the run-on oligomer filament, making the reaction efficient in that each association into the filament likely leads to DNA cleavage before filament dissociation.

Active transport of cytoophidia in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The metabolic enzyme cytidine triphosphate synthase has recently been found to form micrometer-sized filamentous structures termed cytoophidia, which are evolutionarily conserved across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The cytoophidium represents a novel type of membraneless organelle and behaves dynamically inside the cell. The question of how cytoophidia transport is mediated, however, remains unanswered. For the first time, we detected in this study the active transport of cytoophidia, taking advantage of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as an excellent model for studying membraneless organelles. We demonstrated that actin filaments, not microtubules, are responsible for this transport. Furthermore, we determined that Myo52, a type of myosin V, is required for the active transport of cytoophidia. These results reveal the major players critical to the dynamics of cytoophidia and extend our understanding of intracellular transport of membraneless organelles.—Li, H., Ye, F., Ren, J.-Y., Wang, P.-Y., Du, L.-L., Liu, J.-L. Active transport of cytoophidia in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

It Pays To Be in Phase

To survive, organisms must orchestrate competing biochemical and regulatory processes in time and space. Recent work has suggested that the underlying chemical properties of some biomolecules allow them to self-organize and that life may have exploited this property to organize biochemistry in space and time. Such phase separation is ubiquitous, particularly among the many regulatory proteins that harbor prion-like intrinsically disordered domains. And yet, despite evident regulation by post-translational modification and myriad other stimuli, the biological significance of many phase-separated compartments remains uncertain. Many potential functions have been proposed, but far fewer have been demonstrated. A burgeoning subfield at the intersection of cell biology and polymer physics has defined the biophysical underpinnings that govern the genesis and stability of these particles. The picture is complex: many assemblies are composed of multiple proteins that each have the capacity to phase separate. Here, we briefly discuss this foundational work and survey recent efforts combining targeted biochemical perturbations and quantitative modeling to specifically address the diverse roles that phase separation processes may play in biology.

Extramitochondrial Assembly of Mitochondrial Targeting Signal Disrupted Mitochondrial Enzyme Aldehyde Dehydrogenase

Supramolecular assembly of metabolic enzymes has been studied both in vivo and in vitro for nearly a decade. Experimental evidence has suggested a close relationship between enzymatic activity and enzyme assembly/disassembly. However, most cases were studied with the cytosolic enzymes. Here, I report the evidence for a mitochondrial enzyme with its ability in forming visible intracellular structures. By removing the mitochondrial targeting sequence, yeast mitochondrial enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (Ald4p) exhibits reversible supramolecular assembly in the cytoplasm, thus creating a useful system for further characterization of the regulatory factors that modulate the assembly/disassembly of this mitochondrial enzyme.

Proteasome storage granules protect proteasomes from autophagic degradation upon carbon starvation

26S proteasome abundance is tightly regulated at multiple levels, including the elimination of excess or inactive particles by autophagy. In yeast, this proteaphagy occurs upon nitrogen starvation but not carbon starvation, which instead stimulates the rapid sequestration of proteasomes into cytoplasmic puncta termed proteasome storage granules (PSGs). Here, we show that PSGs help protect proteasomes from autophagic degradation. Both the core protease and regulatory particle sub-complexes are sequestered separately into PSGs via pathways dependent on the accessory proteins Blm10 and Spg5, respectively. Modulating PSG formation, either by perturbing cellular energy status or pH, or by genetically eliminating factors required for granule assembly, not only influences the rate of proteasome degradation, but also impacts cell viability upon recovery from carbon starvation. PSG formation and concomitant protection against proteaphagy also occurs in Arabidopsis, suggesting that PSGs represent an evolutionarily conserved cache of proteasomes that can be rapidly re-mobilized based on energy availability.

Proteins perform many jobs within an organism, including providing structure and support, and protecting against infection. The levels of the many proteins in a cell need to be carefully controlled so that the correct amounts are present at the right place and time to perform these tasks. This control can be achieved by balancing the production of new proteins with the break down (or degradation) of proteins that are no longer required or become dysfunctional.

Most cells have two pathways for degrading proteins. One pathway breaks down individual proteins specifically marked for elimination; this causes them to be recognized by a structure called the proteasome, which chops proteins into smaller pieces. Larger protein assemblies – including the proteasome itself – are to big for the proteasome and thus need to be degraded by another pathway called autophagy. This process engulfs and delivers parts of a cell to a membrane-bound compartment called the vacuole, which ‘digests’ and recycles these larger constituents.

Proteasomes are degraded by autophagy when they are not working correctly and when nitrogen (a crucial nutrient) is in short supply. However, proteasomes are not degraded when cells lack carbon, even though this starvation is known to activate autophagy in the same way that an absence of nitrogen does. So how do proteasomes escape degradation when cells are starved for carbon?

Marshall and Vierstra now show that upon carbon starvation, proteasomes rapidly exit the cell nucleus and cluster together in the main part of the cell (termed the cytosol). These clusters are known as proteasome storage granules (PSGs). In fungi and plants, mutations or conditions inside the cell that make it difficult for PSGs to assemble cause proteasomes to instead be broken down in the vacuole when carbon availability is low. Clustering into PSGs therefore protects proteasomes from autophagy. This clustering appears advantageous to cells; yeast cells that could form PSGs were better able to start growing again when their nutrient supply improved.

Protein clustering (also known as aggregation) is an important strategy that cells use to survive stressful conditions. However, it can also be harmful when proteins aggregate inappropriately, such as occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers may be able to use PSG assembly as a convenient model to study the causes and consequences of protein aggregation; this knowledge could ultimately be applied to improve human health and crop productivity.

Biophysical Analysis of Bacterial CTP Synthase Filaments Formed in the Presence of the Chemotherapeutic Metabolite Gemcitabine-5'-triphosphate

While enzyme activity is often regulated by a combination of substrate/effector availability and quaternary structure, many cytosolic enzymes may be further regulated through oligomerization into filaments. Cytidine-5'-triphosphate (CTP) synthase (CTPS) forms such filaments-a process that is promoted by the product CTP. The CTP analog and active chemotherapeutic metabolite gemcitabine-5'-triphosphate (dF-dCTP) is a potent inhibitor of CTPS; however, its effect on the enzyme's ability to form filaments is unknown. Alongside electron microscopy studies, dynamic light scattering showed that dF-dCTP induces Escherichia coli CTPS (EcCTPS) to form filaments in solution with lengths ≥30 nm in the presence of CTP or dF-dCTP. The substrate UTP blocks formation of filaments and effects their disassembly. EcCTPS variants were constructed to investigate the role of CTP-binding determinants in CTP- and dF-dCTP-dependent filament formation. Substitution of Glu 149 (i.e., E149D), which interacts with the ribose of CTP, caused reduced affinity for both CTP and dF-dCTP, and obviated filament formation. Phe 227 appears to interact with CTP through an edge-on interaction with the cytosine ring, yet the F227A and F227L variants bound CTP and dF-dCTP. F227A EcCTPS did not form filaments, while F227L EcCTPS formed shorter filaments in the presence of CTP or dF-dCTP. Hence, Phe 227 plays a role in filament formation, although replacement by a bulky hydrophobic amino acid is sufficient for limited filament formation. That dF-dCTP can induce filament formation highlights the fact that nucleotide analogs employed as chemotherapeutic agents may affect the filamentous states of enzymes and potentially alter their regulation in vivo.

Phase separation of a yeast prion protein promotes cellular fitness

Much recent work has focused on liquid-liquid phase separation as a cellular response to changing physicochemical conditions. Because phase separation responds critically to small changes in conditions such as pH, temperature, or salt, it is in principle an ideal way for a cell to measure and respond to changes in the environment. Small pH changes could, for instance, induce phase separation of compartments that store, protect, or inactivate proteins. Franzmann et al. used the yeast translation termination factor Sup35 as a model for a phase separation–induced stress response. Lowering the pH induced liquid-liquid phase separation of Sup35. The resulting liquid compartments subsequently hardened into gels, which sequestered the termination factor. Raising the pH triggered dissolution of the gels, concomitant with translation restart. Protecting Sup35 in gels could provide a fitness advantage to recovering yeast cells that must restart the translation machinery after stress.

Science , this issue p. eaao5654

Phase separation of a yeast prion protein promotes cellular fitness

Despite the important role of prion domains in neurodegenerative disease, their physiological function has remained enigmatic. Previous work with yeast prions has defined prion domains as sequences that form self-propagating aggregates. Here, we uncovered an unexpected function of the canonical yeast prion protein Sup35. In stressed conditions, Sup35 formed protective gels via pH-regulated liquid-like phase separation followed by gelation. Phase separation was mediated by the N-terminal prion domain and regulated by the adjacent pH sensor domain. Phase separation promoted yeast cell survival by rescuing the essential Sup35 translation factor from stress-induced damage. Thus, prion-like domains represent conserved environmental stress sensors that facilitate rapid adaptation in unstable environments by modifying protein phase behavior.

TORC1 organized in inhibited domains (TOROIDs) regulate TORC1 activity

The Target of Rapamycin (TOR) is a eukaryotic serine/threonine protein kinase that functions in two distinct complexes, TORC1 and TORC2, to regulate growth and metabolism1,2. GTPases, responding to signals generated by abiotic stressors, nutrients, and, in metazoans, growth factors, play an important3, but poorly understood role in TORC1 regulation. Here, we report that, in budding yeast, glucose withdrawal, which leads to an acute loss of TORC1 kinase activity4, triggers a similarly rapid Rag GTPase-dependent redistribution of TORC1 from being semi-uniform around the vacuolar membrane to a single, vacuole-associated cylindrical structure visible by super-resolution optical microscopy. 3D reconstructions of cryo-electron micrograph images of these purified cylinders demonstrate that TORC1 oligomerizes into a higher-level hollow helical assembly which we name a TOROID (TORC1 Organised in Inhibited Domain). Fitting of the recently described mammalian TORC1 structure into our helical map revealed that oligomerisation leads to steric occlusion of the active site. Guided by the implications from our reconstruction, we present a TOR1 allele that prevents both TOROID formation and TORC1 inactivation in response to glucose withdrawal demonstrating that oligomerisation is necessary for TORC1 inactivation. Our results reveal a novel mechanism by which Rag-GTPases regulate TORC1 activity and suggest that the reversible assembly/disassembly of higher-level structure may be a new paradigm for the regulation of protein kinases.

The wisdom of crowds: regulating cell function through condensed states of living matter

Our understanding of cells has progressed rapidly in recent years, mainly because of technological advances. Modern technology now allows us to observe molecular processes in living cells with high spatial and temporal resolution. At the same time, we are beginning to compile the molecular parts list of cells. However, how all these parts work together to yield complex cellular behavior is still unclear. In addition, the established paradigm of molecular biology, which sees proteins as well-folded enzymes that undergo specific lock-and-key type interactions, is increasingly being challenged. In fact, it is now becoming clear that many proteins do not fold into three-dimensional structures and additionally show highly promiscuous binding behavior. Furthermore, proteins function in collectives and form condensed phases with different material properties, such as liquids, gels, glasses or filaments. Here, I examine emerging evidence that the formation of macromolecular condensates is a fundamental principle in cell biology. I further discuss how different condensed states of living matter regulate cellular functions and decision-making and ensure adaptive behavior and survival in times of cellular crisis.

Reconstituted IMPDH polymers accommodate both catalytically active and inactive conformations

Several metabolic enzymes undergo reversible polymerization into macromolecular assemblies. The function of these assemblies is often unclear but in some cases they regulate enzyme activity and metabolic homeostasis. The guanine nucleotide biosynthetic enzyme inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) forms octamers that polymerize into helical chains. In mammalian cells, IMPDH filaments can associate into micron-length assemblies. Polymerization and enzyme activity are regulated in part by binding of purine nucleotides to an allosteric regulatory domain. ATP promotes octamer polymerization, whereas GTP promotes a compact, inactive conformation whose ability to polymerize is unknown. Also unclear is whether polymerization directly alters IMPDH catalytic activity. To address this, we identified point mutants of human IMPDH2 that either prevent or promote polymerization. Unexpectedly, we found that polymerized and non-assembled forms of recombinant IMPDH have comparable catalytic activity, substrate affinity, and GTP sensitivity and validated this finding in cells. Electron microscopy revealed that substrates and allosteric nucleotides shift the equilibrium between active and inactive conformations in both the octamer and the filament. Unlike other metabolic filaments, which selectively stabilize active or inactive conformations, recombinant IMPDH filaments accommodate multiple states. These conformational states are finely tuned by substrate availability and purine balance, while polymerization may allow cooperative transitions between states.

Proteins evolve on the edge of supramolecular self-assembly

The self-association of proteins into symmetric complexes is ubiquitous in all kingdoms of life. Symmetric complexes possess unique geometric and functional properties, but their internal symmetry can pose a risk. In sickle-cell disease, the symmetry of haemoglobin exacerbates the effect of a mutation, triggering assembly into harmful fibrils. Here we examine the universality of this mechanism and its relation to protein structure geometry. We introduced point mutations solely designed to increase surface hydrophobicity among 12 distinct symmetric complexes from Escherichia coli. Notably, all responded by forming supramolecular assemblies in vitro, as well as in vivo upon heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Remarkably, in four cases, micrometre-long fibrils formed in vivo in response to a single point mutation. Biophysical measurements and electron microscopy revealed that mutants self-assembled in their folded states and so were not amyloid-like. Structural examination of 73 mutants identified supramolecular assembly hot spots predictable by geometry. A subsequent structural analysis of 7,471 symmetric complexes showed that geometric hot spots were buffered chemically by hydrophilic residues, suggesting a mechanism preventing mis-assembly of these regions. Thus, point mutations can frequently trigger folded proteins to self-assemble into higher-order structures. This potential is counterbalanced by negative selection and can be exploited to design nanomaterials in living cells.

Strength in numbers: Phosphofructokinase polymerization prevails in the liver

Zaganjor et al. preview work from Webb et al. that shows that the liver-specific isoform of the glycolysis enzyme PFK1 can assemble into filaments and localize to distinct puncta near the plasma membrane.

Numerous metabolic enzymes assemble into filamentous structures, which are thought to serve additional regulatory functions. In this issue, Webb et al. (2017. J. Cell Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201701084) show that the liver-specific isoform of phosphofructokinase-1 forms filaments in vitro and localizes as puncta in cells along the plasma membrane. This suggests spatial organization of glycolysis in higher organisms.

Gel or Die: Phase Separation as a Survival Strategy

Stress conditions trigger protein assembly by demixing from the cytoplasm, but the biological significance is still unclear. In this issue of Cell, Riback et al. report that the yeast poly(A)-binding protein 1 (Pab1) is a phase-separating stress sensor that boosts organismal fitness under physiological stress conditions.

Spatial Organization of Metabolic Enzyme Complexes in Cells

The organization of metabolic multienzyme complexes has been hypothesized to benefit metabolic processes and provide a coordinated way for the cell to regulate metabolism. Historically, their existence has been supported by various in vitro techniques. However, it is only recently that the existence of metabolic complexes inside living cells has come to light to corroborate this long-standing hypothesis. Indeed, subcellular compartmentalization of metabolic enzymes appears to be widespread and highly regulated. On the other hand, it is still challenging to demonstrate the functional significance of these enzyme complexes in the context of the cellular milieu. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of metabolic enzyme complexes by primarily focusing on central carbon metabolism and closely associated metabolic pathways in a variety of organisms, as well as their regulation and functional contributions to cells.

Human CTP synthase filament structure reveals the active enzyme conformation

The universally conserved enzyme CTP synthase (CTPS) forms filaments in bacteria and eukaryotes. In bacteria, polymerization inhibits CTPS activity and is required for nucleotide homeostasis. Here we show that for human CTPS, polymerization increases catalytic activity. The cryo-EM structures of bacterial and human CTPS filaments differ considerably in overall architecture and in the conformation of the CTPS protomer, explaining the divergent consequences of polymerization on activity. The structure of human CTPS filament, the first structure of the full-length human enzyme, reveals a novel active conformation. The filament structures elucidate allosteric mechanisms of assembly and regulation that rely on a conserved conformational equilibrium. The findings may provide a mechanism for increasing human CTPS activity in response to metabolic state and challenge the assumption that metabolic filaments are generally storage forms of inactive enzymes. Allosteric regulation of CTPS polymerization by ligands likely represents a fundamental mechanism underlying assembly of other metabolic filaments.

Bridging length scales to measure polymer assembly

Time-resolvable quantitative measurements of polymer concentration are very useful to elucidate protein polymerization pathways. There are numerous techniques to measure polymer concentrations in purified protein solutions, but few are applicable in vivo. Here we develop a methodology combining microscopy and spectroscopy to overcome the limitations of both approaches for measuring polymer concentration in cells and cell extracts. This technique is based on quantifying the relationship between microscopy and spectroscopy measurements at many locations. We apply this methodology to measure microtubule assembly in tissue culture cells and Xenopus egg extracts using two-photon microscopy with FLIM measurements of FRET. We find that the relationship between FRET and two-photon intensity quantitatively agrees with predictions. Furthermore, FRET and intensity measurements change as expected with changes in acquisition time, labeling ratios, and polymer concentration. Taken together, these results demonstrate that this approach can quantitatively measure microtubule assembly in complex environments. This methodology should be broadly useful for studying microtubule nucleation and assembly pathways of other polymers.

Electron Microscopy Structural Insights into CPAP Oligomeric Behavior: A Plausible Assembly Process of a Supramolecular Scaffold of the Centrosome

Centrosomal P4.1-associated protein (CPAP) is a cell cycle regulated protein fundamental for centrosome assembly and centriole elongation. In humans, the region between residues 897–1338 of CPAP mediates interactions with other proteins and includes a homodimerization domain. CPAP mutations cause primary autosomal recessive microcephaly and Seckel syndrome. Despite of the biological/clinical relevance of CPAP, its mechanistic behavior remains unclear and its C-terminus (the G-box/TCP domain) is the only part whose structure has been solved. This situation is perhaps due in part to the challenges that represent obtaining the protein in a soluble, homogeneous state for structural studies. Our work constitutes a systematic structural analysis on multiple oligomers of HsCPAP^897−1338, using single-particle electron microscopy (EM) of negatively stained (NS) samples. Based on image classification into clearly different regular 3D maps (putatively corresponding to dimers and tetramers) and direct observation of individual images representing other complexes of HsCPAP^897−1338 (i.e., putative flexible monomers and higher-order multimers), we report a dynamic oligomeric behavior of this protein, where different homo-oligomers coexist in variable proportions. We propose that dimerization of the putative homodimer forms a putative tetramer which could be the structural unit for the scaffold that either tethers the pericentriolar material to centrioles or promotes procentriole elongation. A coarse fitting of atomic models into the NS 3D maps at resolutions around 20 Å is performed only to complement our experimental data, allowing us to hypothesize on the oligomeric composition of the different complexes. In this way, the current EM work represents an initial step toward the structural characterization of different oligomers of CPAP, suggesting further insights to understand how this protein works, contributing to the elucidation of control mechanisms for centriole biogenesis.

Cell adaptation upon stress: the emerging role of membrane-less compartments

Cells under stress transition from a growth to a quiescent state. The conventional thinking is that this is achieved through transcriptional programs, translational regulation, protein degradation, and post-translational modifications. However, there is an increasing realization that stress adaptation also goes along with dramatic changes in the architecture and organization of cells. In particular, it seems to involve the formation of membrane-less compartments and macromolecular assemblies. We propose that cells make widespread use of this ability to change macromolecular organization to adapt to stress conditions and protect themselves. Here, we address what triggers the formation of these assemblies under stress conditions. We present examples illustrating that in some cases, sophisticated signaling pathways transmit environmental fluctuations from the outside to the inside and in others, that external fluctuations directly affect the internal conditions in cells. We further argue that changes in the organization of the cytoplasm and the formation of membrane-less compartments have many advantages over other ways of altering protein function, such as protein degradation, translation or transcription. Furthermore, membrane-less compartments may act as protective devices for key cellular components.

Fail-safe control of translation initiation by dissociation of eIF2α phosphorylated ternary complexes

Phosphorylation of eIF2α controls translation initiation by restricting the levels of active eIF2-GTP/Met-tRNAi ternary complexes (TC). This modulates the expression of all eukaryotic mRNAs and contributes to the cellular integrated stress response. Key to controlling the activity of eIF2 are translation factors eIF2B and eIF5, thought to primarily function with eIF2-GDP and TC respectively. Using a steady-state kinetics approach with purified proteins we demonstrate that eIF2B binds to eIF2 with equal affinity irrespective of the presence or absence of competing guanine nucleotides. We show that eIF2B can compete with Met-tRNAi for eIF2-GTP and can destabilize TC. When TC is formed with unphosphorylated eIF2, eIF5 can out-compete eIF2B to stabilize TC/eIF5 complexes. However when TC/eIF5 is formed with phosphorylated eIF2, eIF2B outcompetes eIF5 and destabilizes TC. These data uncover competition between eIF2B and eIF5 for TC and identify that phosphorylated eIF2-GTP translation initiation intermediate complexes can be inhibited by eIF2B.

Higher order structures in purine and pyrimidine metabolism

The recent discovery of several forms of higher order protein structures in cells has shifted the paradigm of how we think about protein organization and metabolic regulation. These dynamic and controllable protein assemblies, which are composed of dozens or hundreds of copies of an enzyme or related enzymes, have emerged as important players in myriad cellular processes. We are only beginning to appreciate the breadth of function of these types of macromolecular assemblies. These higher order structures, which can be assembled in response to varied cellular stimuli including changing metabolite concentrations or signaling cascades, give the cell the capacity to modulate levels of biomolecules both temporally and spatially. This provides an added level of control with distinct kinetics and unique features that can be harnessed as a subtle, yet powerful regulatory mechanism. Due, in large part, to advances in structural methods, such as crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, and the advent of super-resolution microscopy techniques, a rapidly increasing number of these higher order structures are being identified and characterized. In this review, we detail what is known about the structure, function and control mechanisms of these mesoscale protein assemblies, with a particular focus on those involved in purine and pyrimidine metabolism. These structures have important implications both for our understanding of fundamental cellular processes and as fertile ground for new targets for drug discovery and development.

In vivo vizualisation of mono-ADP-ribosylation by dPARP16 upon amino-acid starvation

PARP catalysed ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification involved in several physiological and pathological processes, including cellular stress. In order to visualise both Poly-, and Mono-, ADP-ribosylation in vivo, we engineered specific fluorescent probes. Using them, we show that amino-acid starvation triggers an unprecedented display of mono-ADP-ribosylation that governs the formation of Sec body, a recently identified stress assembly that forms in Drosophila cells. We show that dPARP16 catalytic activity is necessary and sufficient for both amino-acid starvation induced mono-ADP-ribosylation and subsequent Sec body formation and cell survival. Importantly, dPARP16 catalyses the modification of Sec16, a key Sec body component, and we show that it is a critical event for the formation of this stress assembly. Taken together our findings establish a novel example for the role of mono-ADP-ribosylation in the formation of stress assemblies, and link this modification to a metabolic stress.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.21475.001

Are aberrant phase transitions a driver of cellular aging?

Why do cells age? Recent advances show that the cytoplasm is organized into many membrane‐less compartments via a process known as phase separation, which ensures spatiotemporal control over diffusion‐limited biochemical reactions. Although phase separation is a powerful mechanism to organize biochemical reactions, it comes with the trade‐off that it is extremely sensitive to changes in physical‐chemical parameters, such as protein concentration, pH, or cellular energy levels. Here, we highlight recent findings showing that age‐related neurodegenerative diseases are linked to aberrant phase transitions in neurons. We discuss how these aberrant phase transitions could be tied to a failure to maintain physiological physical‐chemical conditions. We generalize this idea to suggest that the process of cellular aging involves a progressive loss of the organization of phase‐separated compartments in the cytoplasm.

Challenges in structural approaches to cell modeling

Computational modeling is essential for structural characterization of biomolecular mechanisms across the broad spectrum of scales. Adequate understanding of biomolecular mechanisms inherently involves our ability to model them. Structural modeling of individual biomolecules and their interactions has been rapidly progressing. However, in terms of the broader picture, the focus is shifting toward larger systems, up to the level of a cell. Such modeling involves a more dynamic and realistic representation of the interactomes in vivo, in a crowded cellular environment, as well as membranes and membrane proteins, and other cellular components. Structural modeling of a cell complements computational approaches to cellular mechanisms based on differential equations, graph models, and other techniques to model biological networks, imaging data, etc. Structural modeling along with other computational and experimental approaches will provide a fundamental understanding of life at the molecular level and lead to important applications to biology and medicine. A cross section of diverse approaches presented in this review illustrates the developing shift from the structural modeling of individual molecules to that of cell biology. Studies in several related areas are covered: biological networks; automated construction of three-dimensional cell models using experimental data; modeling of protein complexes; prediction of non-specific and transient protein interactions; thermodynamic and kinetic effects of crowding; cellular membrane modeling; and modeling of chromosomes. The review presents an expert opinion on the current state-of-the-art in these various aspects of structural modeling in cellular biology, and the prospects of future developments in this emerging field.

Sequestration-Mediated Downregulation of de Novo Purine Biosynthesis by AMPK

Dynamic partitioning of de novo purine biosynthetic enzymes into multienzyme compartments, purinosomes, has been associated with increased flux of de novo purine biosynthesis in human cells. However, we do not know of a mechanism by which de novo purine biosynthesis would be downregulated in cells. We have investigated the functional role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the regulation of de novo purine biosynthesis because of its regulatory action on lipid and carbohydrate biosynthetic pathways. Using pharmacological AMPK activators, we have monitored subcellular localizations of six pathway enzymes tagged with green fluorescent proteins under time-lapse fluorescence single-cell microscopy. We revealed that only one out of six pathway enzymes, formylglycinamidine ribonucleotide synthase (FGAMS), formed spatially distinct cytoplasmic granules after treatment with AMPK activators, indicating the formation of single-enzyme self-assemblies. In addition, subsequent biophysical studies using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching showed that the diffusion kinetics of FGAMS were slower when it localized inside the self-assemblies than within the purinosomes. Importantly, high-performance liquid chromatographic studies revealed that the formation of AMPK-promoted FGAMS self-assembly caused the reduction of purine metabolites in HeLa cells, indicating the downregulation of de novo purine biosynthesis. Collectively, we demonstrate here that the spatial sequestration of FGAMS by AMPK is a mechanism by which de novo purine biosynthesis is downregulated in human cells.

Connecting the dots: the effects of macromolecular crowding on cell physiology

The physicochemical properties of cellular environments with a high macromolecular content have been systematically characterized to explain differences observed in the diffusion coefficients, kinetics parameters, and thermodynamic properties of proteins inside and outside of cells. However, much less attention has been given to the effects of macromolecular crowding on cell physiology. Here, we review recent findings that shed some light on the role of crowding in various cellular processes, such as reduction of biochemical activities, structural reorganization of the cytoplasm, cytoplasm fluidity, and cellular dormancy. We conclude by presenting some unresolved problems that require the attention of biophysicists, biochemists, and cell physiologists. Although it is still underappreciated, macromolecular crowding plays a critical role in life as we know it.

Metabolic regulation via enzyme filamentation

Determining the mechanisms of enzymatic regulation is central to the study of cellular metabolism. Regulation of enzyme activity via polymerization-mediated strategies has been shown to be widespread, and plays a vital role in mediating cellular homeostasis. In this review, we begin with an overview of the filamentation of CTP synthase, which forms filamentous structures termed cytoophidia. We then highlight other important examples of the phenomenon. Moreover, we discuss recent data relating to the regulation of enzyme activity by compartmentalization into cytoophidia. Finally, we hypothesize potential roles for enzyme filament formation in the regulation of metabolism, development and disease.

Filamentation of Metabolic Enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Compartmentation via filamentation has recently emerged as a novel mechanism for metabolic regulation. In order to identify filament-forming metabolic enzymes systematically, we performed a genome-wide screening of all strains available from an open reading frame-GFP collection in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We discovered nine novel filament-forming proteins and also confirmed those identified previously. From the 4159 strains, we found 23 proteins, mostly metabolic enzymes, which are capable of forming filaments in vivo. In silico protein-protein interaction analysis suggests that these filament-forming proteins can be clustered into several groups, including translational initiation machinery and glucose and nitrogen metabolic pathways. Using glutamine-utilising enzymes as examples, we found that the culture conditions affect the occurrence and length of the metabolic filaments. Furthermore, we found that two CTP synthases (Ura7p and Ura8p) and two asparagine synthetases (Asn1p and Asn2p) form filaments both in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. Live imaging analyses suggest that metabolic filaments undergo sub-diffusion. Taken together, our genome-wide screening identifies additional filament-forming proteins in S. cerevisiae and suggests that filamentation of metabolic enzymes is more general than currently appreciated.

A glucose-starvation response regulates the diffusion of macromolecules

The organization and biophysical properties of the cytosol implicitly govern molecular interactions within cells. However, little is known about mechanisms by which cells regulate cytosolic properties and intracellular diffusion rates. Here, we demonstrate that the intracellular environment of budding yeast undertakes a startling transition upon glucose starvation in which macromolecular mobility is dramatically restricted, reducing the movement of both chromatin in the nucleus and mRNPs in the cytoplasm. This confinement cannot be explained by an ATP decrease or the physiological drop in intracellular pH. Rather, our results suggest that the regulation of diffusional mobility is induced by a reduction in cell volume and subsequent increase in molecular crowding which severely alters the biophysical properties of the intracellular environment. A similar response can be observed in fission yeast and bacteria. This reveals a novel mechanism by which cells globally alter their properties to establish a unique homeostasis during starvation.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09376.001

Most organisms live in unpredictable environments, which can often lead to nutrient shortages and other conditions that limit their ability to grow. To survive in these harsh conditions, many organisms adopt a dormant state in which their metabolism slows down to conserve vital energy. When the environmental conditions improve, the organisms can return to their normal state and continue to grow.

The interior of cells is known as the cytoplasm. It is very crowded and contains many molecules and compartments that carry out a variety of vital processes. The cytoplasm has long been considered to be fluid-like in nature, but recent evidence suggests that in bacterial cells it can solidify to resemble a glass-like material under certain conditions. When cells experience stress they stop dividing and alter their metabolism. However, it was not clear whether cells also alter their physical properties in response to changes in the environment.

Now, Joyner et al. starve yeast cells of sugar and track the movements of two large molecules called mRNPs and chromatin. Chromatin is found in a cell compartment known as the nucleus, while mRNPs are found in the cytoplasm. The experiments show that during starvation, both molecules are less able to move around in their respective areas of the cell. This appears to be due to water loss from the cells, which causes the cells to become smaller and leads to the interior of the cell becoming more crowded. Joyner et al. also observed a similar response in bacteria. Furthermore, Joyner et al. suggest that the changes in physical properties are critical for cells to survive the stress caused by starvation.

A separate study by Munder et al. found that when cells become dormant the cytoplasm becomes more acidic, which causes many proteins to bind to each other and form large clumps. Together, the findings of the studies suggest that the interior of cells can undergo a transition from a fluid-like to a more solid-like state to protect the cells from damage when energy is in short supply. The next challenge is to understand the molecular mechanisms that cause the physical properties of the cells to change under different conditions.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09376.002

A pH-driven transition of the cytoplasm from a fluid- to a solid-like state promotes entry into dormancy

Cells can enter into a dormant state when faced with unfavorable conditions. However, how cells enter into and recover from this state is still poorly understood. Here, we study dormancy in different eukaryotic organisms and find it to be associated with a significant decrease in the mobility of organelles and foreign tracer particles. We show that this reduced mobility is caused by an influx of protons and a marked acidification of the cytoplasm, which leads to widespread macromolecular assembly of proteins and triggers a transition of the cytoplasm to a solid-like state with increased mechanical stability. We further demonstrate that this transition is required for cellular survival under conditions of starvation. Our findings have broad implications for understanding alternative physiological states, such as quiescence and dormancy, and create a new view of the cytoplasm as an adaptable fluid that can reversibly transition into a protective solid-like state.

A bacterial hydrogen-dependent CO2 reductase forms filamentous structures

Interconversion of CO2 and formic acid is an important reaction in bacteria. A novel enzyme complex that directly utilizes molecular hydrogen as electron donor for the reversible reduction of CO2 has recently been identified in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of an acetogenic bacterium. This pathway is utilized for carbon fixation as well as energy conservation. Here we describe the further characterization of the quaternary structure of this enzyme complex and the unexpected behavior of this enzyme in polymerizing into filamentous structures. Polymerization of metabolic enzymes into similar structures has been observed only in rare cases but the increasing number of examples point towards a more general characteristic of enzyme functioning. Polymerization of the purified enzyme into ordered filaments of more than 0.1 μm in length was only dependent on the presence of divalent cations. Polymerization was a reversible process and connected to the enzymatic activity of the oxygen-sensitive enzyme with the filamentous form being the most active state.

Systemic control of protein synthesis through sequestration of translation and ribosome biogenesis factors during severe heat stress

Environmental stress causes the sequestration of proteins into insoluble deposits including cytoplasmic stress granules (SGs), containing mRNA and a variety of translation factors. Here we systematically identified proteins sequestered in Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 46 °C by a SG co-localization screen and proteomic analysis of insoluble protein fractions. We identified novel SG components including essential aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Moreover, we discovered nucleus-associated deposits containing ribosome biogenesis factors. Our study suggests downregulation of cytosolic protein synthesis and nuclear ribosome production at multiple levels through heat shock induced protein sequestrations.

Promiscuous interactions and protein disaggregases determine the material state of stress-inducible RNP granules

RNA-protein (RNP) granules have been proposed to assemble by forming solid RNA/protein aggregates or through phase separation into a liquid RNA/protein phase. Which model describes RNP granules in living cells is still unclear. In this study, we analyze P bodies in budding yeast and find that they have liquid-like properties. Surprisingly, yeast stress granules adopt a different material state, which is reminiscent of solid protein aggregates and controlled by protein disaggregases. By using an assay to ectopically nucleate RNP granules, we further establish that RNP granule formation does not depend on amyloid-like aggregation but rather involves many promiscuous interactions. Finally, we show that stress granules have different properties in mammalian cells, where they show liquid-like behavior. Thus, we propose that the material state of RNP granules is flexible and that the solid state of yeast stress granules is an adaptation to extreme environments, made possible by the presence of a powerful disaggregation machine.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06807.001

Genes consist of long stretches of DNA that code for proteins. The DNA is first ‘transcribed’ to produce an RNA molecule, which is then translated into a protein. In most cells, RNA molecules are present within a structure called ribonucleoprotein (RNP for short) granules. These contain the protein machinery needed to transport, store, and break down RNAs.

P bodies and stress granules are two types of RNP granules found in all cells, from yeast to human. P bodies are present at all times, whereas stress granules assemble when a cell experiences stressful conditions, such as a lack of nutrients or high temperatures. Once the stress has been overcome, the stress granules are disassembled.

The precise details of how RNP granules assemble in cells remain poorly understood. One theory suggests that RNP granules form through a physical process called ‘phase separation’ in which RNA molecules and proteins above a certain critical concentration condense to form a liquid droplet. Other research has suggested that RNP granules arise when so-called prion-like proteins spontaneously clump together and start aggregating to form fibers. These granules would behave more like solids than liquids.

Kroschwald et al. have now analyzed how P bodies and stress granules form in yeast and human cells using a chemical compound that can distinguish between liquid-like and solid-like structures. The results revealed that P bodies and stress granules behave very differently in yeast cells. While P bodies are indeed liquid droplets, stress granules are more solid in nature and act like protein aggregates. So why is there a difference between the two? It is known from previous work that when cells are stressed, many proteins misfold and start aggregating. Kroschwald et al. found that the formation of stress granules coincides with the formation of aggregates, suggesting that stress granules themselves are a type of aggregate. Furthermore, stress granule formation does not seem to involve prion-like fibers, but rather prion-like proteins can easily interact with other proteins in a promiscuous way, thus promoting the seeding of stress granules and their growth.

Kroschwald et al. next studied human cells and observed that in these cells, both P bodies and stress granules were liquid droplets. These results together suggest that the physical properties and method of assembling P bodies and stress granules can vary from one organism to another. Future work will investigate whether the ability to form solid rather than liquid stress granules provides extra protection to yeast cells when they are stressed. It also remains to be tested whether and how stress granules convert into the pathological RNP aggregates that are often seen in neurodegenerative diseases.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06807.002

Promiscuous interactions and protein disaggregases determine the material state of stress-inducible RNP granules

RNA-protein (RNP) granules have been proposed to assemble by forming solid RNA/protein aggregates or through phase separation into a liquid RNA/protein phase. Which model describes RNP granules in living cells is still unclear. In this study, we analyze P bodies in budding yeast and find that they have liquid-like properties. Surprisingly, yeast stress granules adopt a different material state, which is reminiscent of solid protein aggregates and controlled by protein disaggregases. By using an assay to ectopically nucleate RNP granules, we further establish that RNP granule formation does not depend on amyloid-like aggregation but rather involves many promiscuous interactions. Finally, we show that stress granules have different properties in mammalian cells, where they show liquid-like behavior. Thus, we propose that the material state of RNP granules is flexible and that the solid state of yeast stress granules is an adaptation to extreme environments, made possible by the presence of a powerful disaggregation machine.

Liquid-liquid phase separation in biology

Cells organize many of their biochemical reactions in non-membrane compartments. Recent evidence has shown that many of these compartments are liquids that form by phase separation from the cytoplasm. Here we discuss the basic physical concepts necessary to understand the consequences of liquid-like states for biological functions.

CTP Synthase Is Required for Optic Lobe Homeostasis in Drosophila

CTP synthase (CTPsyn) is a metabolic enzyme responsible for the de novo synthesis of the nucleotide CTP. Several recent studies have shown that CTPsyn forms filamentous subcellular structures known as cytoophidia in bacteria, yeast, fruit flies and humans. However, it remains elusive whether and how CTPsyn and cytoophidia play a role during development. Here, we show that cytoophidia are abundant in the neuroepithelial stem cells in Drosophila optic lobes. Optic lobes are underdeveloped in CTPsyn mutants as well as in CTPsyn RNAi. Moreover, overexpressing CTPsyn impairs the development of optic lobes, specifically by blocking the transition from neuroepithelium to neuroblast. Taken together, our results indicate that CTPsyn is critical for optic lobe homeostasis in Drosophila.

Probing the run-on oligomer of activated SgrAI bound to DNA

SgrAI is a type II restriction endonuclease with an unusual mechanism of activation involving run-on oligomerization. The run-on oligomer is formed from complexes of SgrAI bound to DNA containing its 8 bp primary recognition sequence (uncleaved or cleaved), and also binds (and thereby activates for DNA cleavage) complexes of SgrAI bound to secondary site DNA sequences which contain a single base substitution in either the 1st/8th or the 2nd/7th position of the primary recognition sequence. This modulation of enzyme activity via run-on oligomerization is a newly appreciated phenomenon that has been shown for a small but increasing number of enzymes. One outstanding question regarding the mechanistic model for SgrAI is whether or not the activating primary site DNA must be cleaved by SgrAI prior to inducing activation. Herein we show that an uncleavable primary site DNA containing a 3'-S-phosphorothiolate is in fact able to induce activation. In addition, we now show that cleavage of secondary site DNA can be activated to nearly the same degree as primary, provided a sufficient number of flanking base pairs are present. We also show differences in activation and cleavage of the two types of secondary site, and that effects of selected single site substitutions in SgrAI, as well as measured collisional cross-sections from previous work, are consistent with the cryo-electron microscopy model for the run-on activated oligomer of SgrAI bound to DNA.