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Kozak F, Brandis D, Pötzl C, Epasto LM, Reichinger D, Obrist D, Peterlik H, Polyansky A, Zagrovic B, Daus F, Geyer A, Becker CFW, Kurzbach D. An Atomistic View on the Mechanism of Diatom Peptide-Guided Biomimetic Silica Formation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2401239. [PMID: 38874418 PMCID: PMC11321707 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Deciphering nature's remarkable way of encoding functions in its biominerals holds the potential to enable the rational development of nature-inspired materials with tailored properties. However, the complex processes that convert solution-state precursors into solid biomaterials remain largely unknown. In this study, an unconventional approach is presented to characterize these precursors for the diatom-derived peptides R5 and synthetic Silaffin-1A1 (synSil-1A1). These molecules can form defined supramolecular assemblies in solution, which act as templates for solid silica structures. Using a tailored structural biology toolbox, the structure-function relationships of these self-assemblies are unveiled. NMR-derived constraints are employed to enable a recently developed fractal-cluster formalism and then reveal the architecture of the peptide assemblies in atomistic detail. Finally, by monitoring the self-assembly activities during silica formation at simultaneous high temporal and residue resolution using real-time spectroscopy, the mechanism is elucidated underlying template-driven silica formation. Thus, it is demonstrated how to exercise morphology control over bioinorganic solids by manipulating the template architectures. It is found that the morphology of the templates is translated into the shape of bioinorganic particles via a mechanism that includes silica nucleation on the solution-state complexes' surfaces followed by complete surface coating and particle precipitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Kozak
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaWähringer Str. 38Vienna109Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaWähringer Str. 42Vienna1090Austria
| | - Dörte Brandis
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaWähringer Str. 38Vienna109Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaWähringer Str. 42Vienna1090Austria
| | - Christopher Pötzl
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaWähringer Str. 38Vienna109Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaWähringer Str. 42Vienna1090Austria
| | - Ludovica M. Epasto
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaWähringer Str. 38Vienna109Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaWähringer Str. 42Vienna1090Austria
| | - Daniela Reichinger
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaWähringer Str. 38Vienna109Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaWähringer Str. 42Vienna1090Austria
| | - Dominik Obrist
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaWähringer Str. 38Vienna109Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaWähringer Str. 42Vienna1090Austria
| | - Herwig Peterlik
- Faculty of PhysicsUniversity of ViennaBoltzmanngasse 5Vienna1090Austria
| | - Anton Polyansky
- Department of Structural and Computational BiologyMax Perutz LabsUniversity of ViennaCampus Vienna Biocenter 5ViennaA‐1030Austria
| | - Bojan Zagrovic
- Department of Structural and Computational BiologyMax Perutz LabsUniversity of ViennaCampus Vienna Biocenter 5ViennaA‐1030Austria
| | - Fabian Daus
- Faculty of ChemistryPhilipps‐Universität Marburg35032MarburgGermany
| | - Armin Geyer
- Faculty of ChemistryPhilipps‐Universität Marburg35032MarburgGermany
| | - Christian FW Becker
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaWähringer Str. 38Vienna109Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaWähringer Str. 42Vienna1090Austria
| | - Dennis Kurzbach
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of ChemistryUniversity of ViennaWähringer Str. 38Vienna109Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaWähringer Str. 42Vienna1090Austria
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2
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Ruan K, Bai G, Fang Y, Li D, Li T, Liu X, Lu B, Lu Q, Songyang Z, Sun S, Wang Z, Zhang X, Zhou W, Zhang H. Biomolecular condensates and disease pathogenesis. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024:10.1007/s11427-024-2661-3. [PMID: 39037698 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-024-2661-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates or membraneless organelles (MLOs) formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) divide intracellular spaces into discrete compartments for specific functions. Dysregulation of LLPS or aberrant phase transition that disturbs the formation or material states of MLOs is closely correlated with neurodegeneration, tumorigenesis, and many other pathological processes. Herein, we summarize the recent progress in development of methods to monitor phase separation and we discuss the biogenesis and function of MLOs formed through phase separation. We then present emerging proof-of-concept examples regarding the disruption of phase separation homeostasis in a diverse array of clinical conditions including neurodegenerative disorders, hearing loss, cancers, and immunological diseases. Finally, we describe the emerging discovery of chemical modulators of phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Ruan
- The First Affiliated Hospital & School of Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Research Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
| | - Ge Bai
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, 311100, China.
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Yanshan Fang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Dan Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Xingguo Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, China.
| | - Boxun Lu
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.
| | - Zhou Songyang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Shuguo Sun
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Zheng Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Xin Zhang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
| | - Wen Zhou
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Hong Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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3
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Yang A, Song J, Li J, Li Y, Bai S, Zhou C, Wang M, Zhou Y, Wen K, Luo M, Chen P, Liu B, Yang H, Bai Y, Wong WL, Cai Q, Pu H, Qian Y, Hu W, Huang W, Wan M, Zhang C, Feng X. Ligand-Receptor Interaction-Induced Intracellular Phase Separation: A Global Disruption Strategy for Resistance-Free Lethality of Pathogenic Bacteria. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 38980064 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c04749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Addressing the global challenge of bacterial resistance demands innovative approaches, among which multitargeting is a widely used strategy. Current strategies of multitargeting, typically achieved through drug combinations or single agents inherently aiming at multiple targets, face challenges such as stringent pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic requirements and cytotoxicity concerns. In this report, we propose a bacterial-specific global disruption approach as a vastly expanded multitargeting strategy that effectively disrupts bacterial subcellular organization. This effect is achieved through a pioneering chemical design of ligand-receptor interaction-induced aggregation of small molecules, i.e., DNA-induced aggregation of a diarginine peptidomimetic within bacterial cells. These intracellular aggregates display affinity toward various proteins and thus substantially interfere with essential bacterial functions and rupture bacterial cell membranes in an "inside-out" manner, leading to robust antibacterial activities and suppression of drug resistance. Additionally, biochemical analysis of macromolecule binding affinity, cytoplasmic localization patterns, and bacterial stress responses suggests that this bacterial-specific intracellular aggregation mechanism is fundamentally different from nonselective classic DNA or membrane binding mechanisms. These mechanistic distinctions, along with the peptidomimetic's selective permeation of bacterial membranes, contribute to its favorable biocompatibility and pharmacokinetic properties, enabling its in vivo antimicrobial efficacy in several animal models, including mice-based superficial wound models, subcutaneous abscess models, and septicemia infection models. These results highlight the great promise of ligand-receptor interaction-induced intracellular aggregation in achieving a globally disruptive multitargeting effect, thereby offering potential applications in the treatment of malignant cells, including pathogens, tumor cells, and infected tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anming Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Junfeng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Youzhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Silei Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Cailing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Kang Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Miaomiao Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Peiren Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Huan Yang
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Yugang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Wing-Leung Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Qingyun Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Huangsheng Pu
- College of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Novel NanoOptoelectronic Information Materials and Devices, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China
- Nanhu Laser Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
| | - Yu Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Discovery and Development, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wenhao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Discovery and Development, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Muyang Wan
- College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Xinxin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
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4
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Yu X, Hu W, Dong H, Zhao T, Wang X, Chen L, Xue S, Li JP, Luo SZ. Phase Separation Enhanced PROTAC for Highly Efficient Protein Degradation. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:4374-4383. [PMID: 38825770 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Biomacromolecular condensates formed via phase separation establish compartments for the enrichment of specific compositions, which is also used as a biological tool to enhance molecule condensation, thereby increasing the efficiency of biological processes. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have been developed as powerful tools for targeted protein degradation in cells, offering a promising approach for therapies for different diseases. Herein, we introduce an intrinsically disordered region in the PROTAC (denoted PSETAC), which led to the formation of droplets of target proteins in the cells and increased degradation efficiency compared with PROTAC without phase separation. Further, using a nucleus targeting intrinsically disordered domain, the PSETAC was able to target and degrade nuclear-located proteins. Finally, we demonstrated intracellular delivery of PSETAC using lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA (mRNA-LNP) for the degradation of the endogenous target protein. This study established the PSETAC mRNA-LNP method as a potentially translatable, safe therapeutic strategy for the development of clinical applications based on PROTAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Wenrui Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Tian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xiaotian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Long Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Song Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jin-Ping Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Uppsala, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Shi-Zhong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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5
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Tan J, Sweatman MB. Secondary nucleation in symmetric binary SALR mixtures. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:17057-17064. [PMID: 38836847 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05765h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Monte Carlo simulation is used to study secondary nucleation, fissioning, or 'reproduction', of giant clusters in a symmetric binary model fluid with competing short-range (SA) and long-range (LR) interactions. Previous work [M. B. Sweatman, Mol. Phys., 116(15-16), 1945-1952] suggests that a pure SALR fluid can exhibit secondary nucleation if the solute concentration is slowly increased. We show this is also true for a binary symmetric SALR mixture where the cross-interactions can be tuned to generate clusters with three different kinds of structure; (i) independent clusters of each component, (ii) contact clusters of different components, and (iii) mixed clusters. In each case, the overall concentration of each component is identical. This binary model is an initial step towards using SALR fluids to model the intra-cellular space of biological cells that contain a wide range of membraneless organelles and the chemical 'soup' at the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiazheng Tan
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Martin B Sweatman
- Institute of Materials and Processes, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FB, UK.
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6
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Belott CJ, Gusev OA, Kikawada T, Menze MA. Membraneless and membrane-bound organelles in an anhydrobiotic cell line are protected from desiccation-induced damage. Cell Stress Chaperones 2024; 29:425-436. [PMID: 38608858 PMCID: PMC11061232 DOI: 10.1016/j.cstres.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Anhydrobiotic species can survive virtually complete water loss by entering a reversible ametabolic glassy state that may persist for years in ambient conditions. The Pv11 cell line was derived from the egg mass of the anhydrobiotic midge, Polypedilum vanderplanki, and is currently the only available anhydrobiotic cell line. Our results demonstrate that the necessary preconditioning for Pv11 cells to enter anhydrobiosis causes autophagy and reduces mitochondrial respiration by over 70%. We speculate that reorganizing cellular bioenergetics to create and conserve energy stores may be valuable to successfully recover after rehydration. Furthermore, mitochondria in preconditioned cells lose their membrane potential during desiccation but rapidly restore it within 30 min upon rehydration, demonstrating that the inner mitochondrial membrane integrity is well-preserved. Strikingly, the nucleolus remains visible immediately upon rehydration in preconditioned cells while absent in control cells. In contrast, a preconditioning-induced membraneless organelle reformed after rehydration, demonstrating that membraneless organelles in Pv11 cells can be either stabilized or recovered. Staining the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus revealed that these organelles fragment during preconditioning. We hypothesize that this process reduces sheering stress caused by rapid changes in cellular volume during desiccation and rehydration. Additionally, preconditioning was found to cause the filamentous-actin (F-actin) network to disassemble significantly and reduce the fusion of adjacent plasma membranes. This study offers several exciting avenues for future studies in the animal model and Pv11 cell line that will further our understanding of anhydrobiosis and may lead to advancements in storing sensitive biologics at ambient temperatures for months or years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton J Belott
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
| | - Oleg A Gusev
- Extreme Biology Laboratory, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia; Molecular Biomimetics Group, Life Improvement by Future Technologies (LIFT) Center, Moscow, Russia; Intractable Disease Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Takahiro Kikawada
- Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
| | - Michael A Menze
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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7
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Hoboth P, Sztacho M, Hozák P. Nuclear patterns of phosphatidylinositol 4,5- and 3,4-bisphosphate revealed by super-resolution microscopy differ between the consecutive stages of RNA polymerase II transcription. FEBS J 2024. [PMID: 38734927 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol phosphates are powerful signaling molecules that orchestrate signaling and direct membrane trafficking in the cytosol. Interestingly, phosphatidylinositol phosphates also localize within the membrane-less compartments of the cell nucleus, where they participate in the regulation of gene expression. Nevertheless, current models of gene expression, which include condensates of proteins and nucleic acids, do not include nuclear phosphatidylinositol phosphates. This gap is partly a result of the missing detailed analysis of the subnuclear distribution of phosphatidylinositol phosphates and their relationships with gene expression. Here, we used quantitative dual-color direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy to analyze the nanoscale co-patterning between RNA polymerase II transcription initiation and elongation markers with respect to phosphatidylinositol 4,5- or 3,4-bisphosphate in the nucleoplasm and nuclear speckles and compared it with randomized data and cells with inhibited transcription. We found specific co-patterning of the transcription initiation marker P-S5 with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in the nucleoplasm and with phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate at the periphery of nuclear speckles. We showed the specific accumulation of the transcription elongation marker PS-2 and of nascent RNA in the proximity of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate associated with nuclear speckles. Taken together, this shows that the distinct spatial associations between the consecutive stages of RNA polymerase II transcription and nuclear phosphatidylinositol phosphates exhibit specificity within the gene expression compartments. Thus, in analogy to the cellular membranes, where phospholipid composition orchestrates signaling pathways and directs membrane trafficking, we propose a model in which the phospholipid identity of gene expression compartments orchestrates RNA polymerase II transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Hoboth
- Laboratory of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Viničná Microscopy Core Facility, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Sztacho
- Laboratory of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Cancer Cell Architecture, Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Hozák
- Laboratory of Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Microscopy Centre, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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8
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Ibáñez de Opakua A, Pantoja CF, Cima-Omori MS, Dienemann C, Zweckstetter M. Impact of distinct FG nucleoporin repeats on Nup98 self-association. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3797. [PMID: 38714656 PMCID: PMC11076500 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48194-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Nucleoporins rich in phenylalanine/glycine (FG) residues form the permeability barrier within the nuclear pore complex and are implicated in several pathological cellular processes, including oncogenic fusion condensates. The self-association of FG-repeat proteins and interactions between FG-repeats play a critical role in these activities by forming hydrogel-like structures. Here we show that mutation of specific FG repeats of Nup98 can strongly decrease the protein's self-association capabilities. We further present a cryo-electron microscopy structure of a Nup98 peptide fibril with higher stability per residue compared with previous Nup98 fibril structures. The high-resolution structure reveals zipper-like hydrophobic patches which contain a GLFG motif and are less compatible for binding to nuclear transport receptors. The identified distinct molecular properties of different regions of the nucleoporin may contribute to spatial variations in the self-association of FG-repeats, potentially influencing transport processes through the nuclear pore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Ibáñez de Opakua
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian F Pantoja
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maria-Sol Cima-Omori
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Dienemann
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, Göttingen, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Department of NMR-based Structural Biology, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen, Germany.
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9
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Gupta MN, Uversky VN. Reexamining the diverse functions of arginine in biochemistry. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 705:149731. [PMID: 38432110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Arginine in a free-state and as part of peptides and proteins shows distinct tendency to form clusters. In free-form, it has been found useful in cryoprotection, as a drug excipient for both solid and liquid formulations, as an aggregation suppressor, and an eluent in protein chromatography. In many cases, the mechanisms by which arginine acts in all these applications is either debatable or at least continues to attract interest. It is quite possible that arginine clusters may be involved in many such applications. Furthermore, it is possible that such clusters are likely to behave as intrinsically disordered polypeptides. These considerations may help in understanding the roles of arginine in diverse applications and may even lead to better strategies for using arginine in different situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munishwar Nath Gupta
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya Str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia; Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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10
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Hadži S, Živič Z, Kovačič M, Zavrtanik U, Haesaerts S, Charlier D, Plavec J, Volkov AN, Lah J, Loris R. Fuzzy recognition by the prokaryotic transcription factor HigA2 from Vibrio cholerae. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3105. [PMID: 38600130 PMCID: PMC11006873 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47296-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Disordered protein sequences can exhibit different binding modes, ranging from well-ordered folding-upon-binding to highly dynamic fuzzy binding. The primary function of the intrinsically disordered region of the antitoxin HigA2 from Vibrio cholerae is to neutralize HigB2 toxin through ultra-high-affinity folding-upon-binding interaction. Here, we show that the same intrinsically disordered region can also mediate fuzzy interactions with its operator DNA and, through interplay with the folded helix-turn-helix domain, regulates transcription from the higBA2 operon. NMR, SAXS, ITC and in vivo experiments converge towards a consistent picture where a specific set of residues in the intrinsically disordered region mediate electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions while "hovering" over the DNA operator. Sensitivity of the intrinsically disordered region to scrambling the sequence, position-specific contacts and absence of redundant, multivalent interactions, point towards a more specific type of fuzzy binding. Our work demonstrates how a bacterial regulator achieves dual functionality by utilizing two distinct interaction modes within the same disordered sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- San Hadži
- Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Zala Živič
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matic Kovačič
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova, 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Uroš Zavrtanik
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sarah Haesaerts
- Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Daniel Charlier
- Research group of Microbiology, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Janez Plavec
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova, 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alexander N Volkov
- Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Jean Jeener NMR Centre, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jurij Lah
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Remy Loris
- Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
- Centre for Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
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11
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Eltayeb A, Al-Sarraj F, Alharbi M, Albiheyri R, Mattar EH, Abu Zeid IM, Bouback TA, Bamagoos A, Uversky VN, Rubio-Casillas A, Redwan EM. Intrinsic factors behind long COVID: IV. Hypothetical roles of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein and its liquid-liquid phase separation. J Cell Biochem 2024; 125:e30530. [PMID: 38349116 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
When the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects humans, it leads to a condition called COVID-19 that has a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, from no symptoms to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The virus initiates damage by attaching to the ACE-2 protein on the surface of endothelial cells that line the blood vessels and using these cells as hosts for replication. Reactive oxygen species levels are increased during viral replication, which leads to oxidative stress. About three-fifths (~60%) of the people who get infected with the virus eradicate it from their body after 28 days and recover their normal activity. However, a large fraction (~40%) of the people who are infected with the virus suffer from various symptoms (anosmia and/or ageusia, fatigue, cough, myalgia, cognitive impairment, insomnia, dyspnea, and tachycardia) beyond 12 weeks and are diagnosed with a syndrome called long COVID. Long-term clinical studies in a group of people who contracted SARS-CoV-2 have been contrasted with a noninfected matched group of people. A subset of infected people can be distinguished by a set of cytokine markers to have persistent, low-grade inflammation and often self-report two or more bothersome symptoms. No medication can alleviate their symptoms efficiently. Coronavirus nucleocapsid proteins have been investigated extensively as potential drug targets due to their key roles in virus replication, among which is their ability to bind their respective genomic RNAs for incorporation into emerging virions. This review highlights basic studies of the nucleocapsid protein and its ability to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation. We hypothesize that this ability of the nucleocapsid protein for phase separation may contribute to long COVID. This hypothesis unlocks new investigation angles and could potentially open novel avenues for a better understanding of long COVID and treating this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Eltayeb
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal Al-Sarraj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona Alharbi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raed Albiheyri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Centre of Excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Immunology Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ehab H Mattar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Isam M Abu Zeid
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thamer A Bouback
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Atif Bamagoos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Alberto Rubio-Casillas
- Autlan Regional Hospital, Health Secretariat, Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico
- Biology Laboratory, Autlan Regional Preparatory School, University of Guadalajara, Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Elrashdy M Redwan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Centre of Excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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12
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Cohen B, Golani-Armon A, Arava YS. Emerging implications for ribosomes in proximity to mitochondria. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 154:123-130. [PMID: 36642616 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Synthesis of all proteins in eukaryotic cells, apart from a few organellar proteins, is done by cytosolic ribosomes. Many of these ribosomes are localized in the vicinity of the functional site of their encoded protein, enabling local protein synthesis. Studies in various organisms and tissues revealed that such locally translating ribosomes are also present near mitochondria. Here, we provide a brief summary of evidence for localized translation near mitochondria, then present data suggesting that these localized ribosomes may enable local translational regulatory processes in response to mitochondria needs. Finally, we describe the involvement of such localized ribosomes in the quality control of protein synthesis and mitochondria. These emerging views suggest that ribosomes localized near mitochondria are a hub for a variety of activities with diverse implications on mitochondria physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bar Cohen
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Adi Golani-Armon
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Yoav S Arava
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel.
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13
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Gupta MN, Uversky VN. Biological importance of arginine: A comprehensive review of the roles in structure, disorder, and functionality of peptides and proteins. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128646. [PMID: 38061507 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Arginine shows Jekyll and Hyde behavior in several respects. It participates in protein folding via ionic and H-bonds and cation-pi interactions; the charge and hydrophobicity of its side chain make it a disorder-promoting amino acid. Its methylation in histones; RNA binding proteins; chaperones regulates several cellular processes. The arginine-centric modifications are important in oncogenesis and as biomarkers in several cardiovascular diseases. The cross-links involving arginine in collagen and cornea are involved in pathogenesis of tissues but have also been useful in tissue engineering and wound-dressing materials. Arginine is a part of active site of several enzymes such as GTPases, peroxidases, and sulfotransferases. Its metabolic importance is obvious as it is involved in production of urea, NO, ornithine and citrulline. It can form unusual functional structures such as molecular tweezers in vitro and sprockets which engage DNA chains as part of histones in vivo. It has been used in design of cell-penetrating peptides as drugs. Arginine has been used as an excipient in both solid and injectable drug formulations; its role in suppressing opalescence due to liquid-liquid phase separation is particularly very promising. It has been known as a suppressor of protein aggregation during protein refolding. It has proved its usefulness in protein bioseparation processes like ion-exchange, hydrophobic and affinity chromatographies. Arginine is an amino acid, whose importance in biological sciences and biotechnology continues to grow in diverse ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munishwar Nath Gupta
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
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14
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Hilditch AT, Romanyuk A, Cross SJ, Obexer R, McManus JJ, Woolfson DN. Assembling membraneless organelles from de novo designed proteins. Nat Chem 2024; 16:89-97. [PMID: 37710047 PMCID: PMC10774119 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01321-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in de novo protein design have delivered a diversity of discrete de novo protein structures and complexes. A new challenge for the field is to use these designs directly in cells to intervene in biological processes and augment natural systems. The bottom-up design of self-assembled objects such as microcompartments and membraneless organelles is one such challenge. Here we describe the design of genetically encoded polypeptides that form membraneless organelles in Escherichia coli. To do this, we combine de novo α-helical sequences, intrinsically disordered linkers and client proteins in single-polypeptide constructs. We tailor the properties of the helical regions to shift protein assembly from arrested assemblies to dynamic condensates. The designs are characterized in cells and in vitro using biophysical methods and soft-matter physics. Finally, we use the designed polypeptide to co-compartmentalize a functional enzyme pair in E. coli, improving product formation close to the theoretical limit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Hilditch
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andrey Romanyuk
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Stephen J Cross
- Wolfson Bioimaging Facility, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard Obexer
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Jennifer J McManus
- HH Wills Physics Laboratory, School of Physics, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Bristol BioDesign Institute, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Derek N Woolfson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Bristol BioDesign Institute, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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15
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Silonov SA, Mokin YI, Nedelyaev EM, Smirnov EY, Kuznetsova IM, Turoverov KK, Uversky VN, Fonin AV. On the Prevalence and Roles of Proteins Undergoing Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in the Biogenesis of PML-Bodies. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1805. [PMID: 38136675 PMCID: PMC10741438 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The formation and function of membrane-less organelles (MLOs) is one of the main driving forces in the molecular life of the cell. These processes are based on the separation of biopolymers into phases regulated by multiple specific and nonspecific inter- and intramolecular interactions. Among the realm of MLOs, a special place is taken by the promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs or PML bodies), which are the intranuclear compartments involved in the regulation of cellular metabolism, transcription, the maintenance of genome stability, responses to viral infection, apoptosis, and tumor suppression. According to the accepted models, specific interactions, such as SUMO/SIM, the formation of disulfide bonds, etc., play a decisive role in the biogenesis of PML bodies. In this work, a number of bioinformatics approaches were used to study proteins found in the proteome of PML bodies for their tendency for spontaneous liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), which is usually caused by weak nonspecific interactions. A total of 205 proteins found in PML bodies have been identified. It has been suggested that UBC9, P53, HIPK2, and SUMO1 can be considered as the scaffold proteins of PML bodies. It was shown that more than half of the proteins in the analyzed proteome are capable of spontaneous LLPS, with 85% of the analyzed proteins being intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and the remaining 15% being proteins with intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs). About 44% of all proteins analyzed in this study contain SUMO binding sites and can potentially be SUMOylated. These data suggest that weak nonspecific interactions play a significantly larger role in the formation and biogenesis of PML bodies than previously expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A. Silonov
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; (S.A.S.); (Y.I.M.); (E.M.N.); (E.Y.S.); (I.M.K.); (K.K.T.)
| | - Yakov I. Mokin
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; (S.A.S.); (Y.I.M.); (E.M.N.); (E.Y.S.); (I.M.K.); (K.K.T.)
| | - Eugene M. Nedelyaev
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; (S.A.S.); (Y.I.M.); (E.M.N.); (E.Y.S.); (I.M.K.); (K.K.T.)
| | - Eugene Y. Smirnov
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; (S.A.S.); (Y.I.M.); (E.M.N.); (E.Y.S.); (I.M.K.); (K.K.T.)
| | - Irina M. Kuznetsova
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; (S.A.S.); (Y.I.M.); (E.M.N.); (E.Y.S.); (I.M.K.); (K.K.T.)
| | - Konstantin K. Turoverov
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; (S.A.S.); (Y.I.M.); (E.M.N.); (E.Y.S.); (I.M.K.); (K.K.T.)
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Alexander V. Fonin
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; (S.A.S.); (Y.I.M.); (E.M.N.); (E.Y.S.); (I.M.K.); (K.K.T.)
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16
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Uversky VN. Functional unfoldomics: Roles of intrinsic disorder in protein (multi)functionality. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2023; 138:179-210. [PMID: 38220424 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which are functional proteins without stable tertiary structure, and hybrid proteins containing ordered domains and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) constitute prominent parts of all proteomes collectively known as unfoldomes. IDPs/IDRs exist as highly dynamic structural ensembles of rapidly interconverting conformations and are characterized by the exceptional structural heterogeneity, where their different parts are (dis)ordered to different degree, and their overall structure represents a complex mosaic of foldons, inducible foldons, inducible morphing foldons, non-foldons, semifoldons, and even unfoldons. Despite their lack of unique 3D structures, IDPs/IDRs play crucial roles in the control of various biological processes and the regulation of different cellular pathways and are commonly involved in recognition and signaling, indicating that the disorder-based functional repertoire is complementary to the functions of ordered proteins. Furthermore, IDPs/IDRs are frequently multifunctional, and this multifunctionality is defined by their structural flexibility and heterogeneity. Intrinsic disorder phenomenon is at the roots of the structure-function continuum model, where the structure continuum is defined by the presence of differently (dis)ordered regions, and the function continuum arises from the ability of all these differently (dis)ordered parts to have different functions. In their everyday life, IDPs/IDRs utilize a broad spectrum of interaction mechanisms thereby acting as interaction specialists. They are crucial for the biogenesis of numerous proteinaceous membrane-less organelles driven by the liquid-liquid phase separation. This review introduces functional unfoldomics by representing some aspects of the intrinsic disorder-based functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
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17
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Kurgan L, Hu G, Wang K, Ghadermarzi S, Zhao B, Malhis N, Erdős G, Gsponer J, Uversky VN, Dosztányi Z. Tutorial: a guide for the selection of fast and accurate computational tools for the prediction of intrinsic disorder in proteins. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:3157-3172. [PMID: 37740110 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00876-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsic disorder is instrumental for a wide range of protein functions, and its analysis, using computational predictions from primary structures, complements secondary and tertiary structure-based approaches. In this Tutorial, we provide an overview and comparison of 23 publicly available computational tools with complementary parameters useful for intrinsic disorder prediction, partly relying on results from the Critical Assessment of protein Intrinsic Disorder prediction experiment. We consider factors such as accuracy, runtime, availability and the need for functional insights. The selected tools are available as web servers and downloadable programs, offer state-of-the-art predictions and can be used in a high-throughput manner. We provide examples and instructions for the selected tools to illustrate practical aspects related to the submission, collection and interpretation of predictions, as well as the timing and their limitations. We highlight two predictors for intrinsically disordered proteins, flDPnn as accurate and fast and IUPred as very fast and moderately accurate, while suggesting ANCHOR2 and MoRFchibi as two of the best-performing predictors for intrinsically disordered region binding. We link these tools to additional resources, including databases of predictions and web servers that integrate multiple predictive methods. Altogether, this Tutorial provides a hands-on guide to comparatively evaluating multiple predictors, submitting and collecting their own predictions, and reading and interpreting results. It is suitable for experimentalists and computational biologists interested in accurately and conveniently identifying intrinsic disorder, facilitating the functional characterization of the rapidly growing collections of protein sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Kurgan
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
| | - Gang Hu
- School of Statistics and Data Science, LPMC and KLMDASR, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Kui Wang
- School of Statistics and Data Science, LPMC and KLMDASR, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Sina Ghadermarzi
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Bi Zhao
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Nawar Malhis
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gábor Erdős
- MTA-ELTE Momentum Bioinformatics Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jörg Gsponer
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
- Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Zsuzsanna Dosztányi
- MTA-ELTE Momentum Bioinformatics Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
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18
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Manyilov VD, Ilyinsky NS, Nesterov SV, Saqr BMGA, Dayhoff GW, Zinovev EV, Matrenok SS, Fonin AV, Kuznetsova IM, Turoverov KK, Ivanovich V, Uversky VN. Chaotic aging: intrinsically disordered proteins in aging-related processes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:269. [PMID: 37634152 PMCID: PMC11073068 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04897-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
The development of aging is associated with the disruption of key cellular processes manifested as well-established hallmarks of aging. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) have no stable tertiary structure that provide them a power to be configurable hubs in signaling cascades and regulate many processes, potentially including those related to aging. There is a need to clarify the roles of IDPs/IDRs in aging. The dataset of 1702 aging-related proteins was collected from established aging databases and experimental studies. There is a noticeable presence of IDPs/IDRs, accounting for about 36% of the aging-related dataset, which is however less than the disorder content of the whole human proteome (about 40%). A Gene Ontology analysis of the used here aging proteome reveals an abundance of IDPs/IDRs in one-third of aging-associated processes, especially in genome regulation. Signaling pathways associated with aging also contain IDPs/IDRs on different hierarchical levels, revealing the importance of "structure-function continuum" in aging. Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that IDPs present in different clusters associated with different aging hallmarks. Protein cluster with IDPs enrichment has simultaneously high liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) probability, "nuclear" localization and DNA-associated functions, related to aging hallmarks: genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, and stem cells exhaustion. Intrinsic disorder, LLPS, and aggregation propensity should be considered as features that could be markers of pathogenic proteins. Overall, our analyses indicate that IDPs/IDRs play significant roles in aging-associated processes, particularly in the regulation of DNA functioning. IDP aggregation, which can lead to loss of function and toxicity, could be critically harmful to the cell. A structure-based analysis of aging and the identification of proteins that are particularly susceptible to disturbances can enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of aging and open up new avenues for slowing it down.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir D Manyilov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
| | - Nikolay S Ilyinsky
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia.
| | - Semen V Nesterov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | - Baraa M G A Saqr
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
| | - Guy W Dayhoff
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Egor V Zinovev
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
| | - Simon S Matrenok
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
| | - Alexander V Fonin
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | - Irina M Kuznetsova
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | | | - Valentin Ivanovich
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia.
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC07, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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19
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Antonietti M, Gonzalez DJT, Djulbegovic M, Dayhoff GW, Uversky VN, Shields CL, Karp CL. Intrinsic disorder in PRAME and its role in uveal melanoma. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:222. [PMID: 37626310 PMCID: PMC10463658 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01197-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma (PRAME) protein has been shown to be an independent biomarker for increased risk of metastasis in Class 1 uveal melanomas (UM). Intrinsically disordered proteins and regions of proteins (IDPs/IDPRs) are proteins that do not have a well-defined three-dimensional structure and have been linked to neoplastic development. Our study aimed to evaluate the presence of intrinsic disorder in PRAME and the role these structureless regions have in PRAME( +) Class 1 UM. METHODS A bioinformatics study to characterize PRAME's propensity for the intrinsic disorder. We first used the AlphaFold tool to qualitatively assess the protein structure of PRAME. Then we used the Compositional Profiler and a set of per-residue intrinsic disorder predictors to quantify the intrinsic disorder. The Database of Disordered Protein Prediction (D2P2) platform, IUPred, FuzDrop, fIDPnn, AUCpred, SPOT-Disorder2, and metapredict V2 allowed us to evaluate the potential functional disorder of PRAME. Additionally, we used the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) to analyze PRAME's potential interactions with other proteins. RESULTS Our structural analysis showed that PRAME contains intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs), which are structureless and flexible. We found that PRAME is significantly enriched with serine (p-value < 0.05), a disorder-promoting amino acid. PRAME was found to have an average disorder score of 16.49% (i.e., moderately disordered) across six per-residue intrinsic disorder predictors. Our IUPred analysis revealed the presence of disorder-to-order transition (DOT) regions in PRAME near the C-terminus of the protein (residues 475-509). The D2P2 platform predicted a region from approximately 140 and 175 to be highly concentrated with post-translational modifications (PTMs). FuzDrop predicted the PTM hot spot of PRAME to be a droplet-promoting region and an aggregation hotspot. Finally, our analysis using the STRING tool revealed that PRAME has significantly more interactions with other proteins than expected for randomly selected proteins of the same size, with the ability to interact with 84 different partners (STRING analysis result: p-value < 1.0 × 10-16; model confidence: 0.400). CONCLUSION Our study revealed that PRAME has IDPRs that are possibly linked to its functionality in the context of Class 1 UM. The regions of functionality (i.e., DOT regions, PTM sites, droplet-promoting regions, and aggregation hotspots) are localized to regions of high levels of disorder. PRAME has a complex protein-protein interaction (PPI) network that may be secondary to the structureless features of the polypeptide. Our findings contribute to our understanding of UM and suggest that IDPRs and DOT regions in PRAME may be targeted in developing new therapies for this aggressive cancer. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Antonietti
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, 900 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | | | - Mak Djulbegovic
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, 900 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Guy W Dayhoff
- Department of Chemistry, College of Art and Sciences, University of South Florida, FL, 33612, Tampa, USA
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, FL, 33612, Tampa, USA
| | - Carol L Shields
- Ocular Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, PA, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Carol L Karp
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, 900 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
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20
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Uversky VN. Biological Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation, Biomolecular Condensates, and Membraneless Organelles: Now You See Me, Now You Don't. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13150. [PMID: 37685957 PMCID: PMC10488282 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS, also known as biomolecular condensation) and the related biogenesis of various membraneless organelles (MLOs) and biomolecular condensates (BMCs) are now considered fundamental molecular mechanisms governing the spatiotemporal organization of the intracellular space [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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21
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Mokin YI, Gavrilova AA, Fefilova AS, Kuznetsova IM, Turoverov KK, Uversky VN, Fonin AV. Nucleolar- and Nuclear-Stress-Induced Membrane-Less Organelles: A Proteome Analysis through the Prism of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11007. [PMID: 37446185 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Radical changes in the idea of the organization of intracellular space that occurred in the early 2010s made it possible to consider the formation and functioning of so-called membrane-less organelles (MLOs) based on a single physical principle: the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymers. Weak non-specific inter- and intramolecular interactions of disordered polymers, primarily intrinsically disordered proteins, and RNA, play a central role in the initiation and regulation of these processes. On the other hand, in some cases, the "maturation" of MLOs can be accompanied by a "liquid-gel" phase transition, where other types of interactions can play a significant role in the reorganization of their structure. In this work, we conducted a bioinformatics analysis of the propensity of the proteomes of two membrane-less organelles, formed in response to stress in the same compartment, for spontaneous phase separation and examined their intrinsic disorder predispositions. These MLOs, amyloid bodies (A-bodies) formed in the response to acidosis and heat shock and nuclear stress bodies (nSBs), are characterized by a partially overlapping composition, but show different functional activities and morphologies. We show that the proteomes of these biocondensates are differently enriched in proteins, and many have high potential for spontaneous LLPS that correlates with the different morphology and function of these organelles. The results of these analyses allowed us to evaluate the role of weak interactions in the formation and functioning of these important organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yakov I Mokin
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Anastasia A Gavrilova
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Anna S Fefilova
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Irina M Kuznetsova
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Konstantin K Turoverov
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Alexander V Fonin
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
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22
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Rangachari V. Biomolecular condensates - extant relics or evolving microcompartments? Commun Biol 2023; 6:656. [PMID: 37344557 PMCID: PMC10284869 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04963-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Unprecedented discoveries during the past decade have unearthed the ubiquitous presence of biomolecular condensates (BCs) in diverse organisms and their involvement in a plethora of biological functions. A predominant number of BCs involve coacervation of RNA and proteins that demix from homogenous solutions by a process of phase separation well described by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), which results in a phase with higher concentration and density from the bulk solution. BCs provide a simple and effective means to achieve reversible spatiotemporal control of cellular processes and adaptation to environmental stimuli in an energy-independent manner. The journey into the past of this phenomenon provides clues to the evolutionary origins of life itself. Here I assemble some current and historic discoveries on LLPS to contemplate whether BCs are extant biological hubs or evolving microcompartments. I conclude that BCs in biology could be extant as a phenomenon but are co-evolving as functionally and compositionally complex microcompartments in cells alongside the membrane-bound organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijayaraghavan Rangachari
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 39402, USA.
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23
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Whitman BT, Wang Y, Murray CRA, Glover MJN, Owttrim GW. Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of the DEAD-Box Cyanobacterial RNA Helicase Redox (CrhR) into Dynamic Membraneless Organelles in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0001523. [PMID: 36920190 PMCID: PMC10132119 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00015-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Compartmentalization of macromolecules into discrete non-lipid-bound bodies by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a well-characterized regulatory mechanism frequently associated with the cellular stress response in eukaryotes. In contrast, the formation and importance of similar complexes is just becoming evident in bacteria. Here, we identify LLPS as the mechanism by which the DEAD-box RNA helicase, cyanobacterial RNA helicase redox (CrhR), compartmentalizes into dynamic membraneless organelles in a temporal and spatial manner in response to abiotic stress in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. Stress conditions induced CrhR to form a single crescent localized exterior to the thylakoid membrane, indicating that this region is a crucial domain in the cyanobacterial stress response. These crescents rapidly dissipate upon alleviation of the stress conditions. Furthermore, CrhR aggregation was mediated by LLPS in an RNA-dependent reaction. We propose that dynamic CrhR condensation performs crucial roles in RNA metabolism, enabling rapid adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus to environmental stresses. These results expand our understanding of the role that functional compartmentalization of RNA helicases and thus RNA processing in membraneless organelles by LLPS-mediated protein condensation performs in the bacterial response to environmental stress. IMPORTANCE Oxygen-evolving photosynthetic cyanobacteria evolved ~3 billion years ago, performing fundamental roles in the biogeochemical evolution of the early Earth and continue to perform fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and primary productivity today. The phylum consists of diverse species that flourish in heterogeneous environments. A prime driver for survival is the ability to alter photosynthetic performance in response to the shifting environmental conditions these organisms continuously encounter. This study demonstrated that diverse abiotic stresses elicit dramatic changes in localization and structural organization of the RNA helicase CrhR associated with the photosynthetic thylakoid membrane. These dynamic changes, mediated by a liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-mediated mechanism, reveal a novel mechanism by which cyanobacteria can compartmentalize the activity of ribonucleoprotein complexes in membraneless organelles. The results have significant consequences for understanding bacterial adaptation and survival in response to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan T. Whitman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yixiong Wang
- Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Cameron R. A. Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mark J. N. Glover
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - George W. Owttrim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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24
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Di Nunzio F, Uversky VN, Mouland AJ. Biomolecular condensates: insights into early and late steps of the HIV-1 replication cycle. Retrovirology 2023; 20:4. [PMID: 37029379 PMCID: PMC10081342 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-023-00619-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A rapidly evolving understanding of phase separation in the biological and physical sciences has led to the redefining of virus-engineered replication compartments in many viruses with RNA genomes. Condensation of viral, host and genomic and subgenomic RNAs can take place to evade the innate immunity response and to help viral replication. Divergent viruses prompt liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to invade the host cell. During HIV replication there are several steps involving LLPS. In this review, we characterize the ability of individual viral and host partners that assemble into biomolecular condensates (BMCs). Of note, bioinformatic analyses predict models of phase separation in line with several published observations. Importantly, viral BMCs contribute to function in key steps retroviral replication. For example, reverse transcription takes place within nuclear BMCs, called HIV-MLOs while during late replication steps, retroviral nucleocapsid acts as a driver or scaffold to recruit client viral components to aid the assembly of progeny virions. Overall, LLPS during viral infections represents a newly described biological event now appreciated in the virology field, that can also be considered as an alternative pharmacological target to current drug therapies especially when viruses become resistant to antiviral treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Nunzio
- Advanced Molecular Virology Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Andrew J Mouland
- Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.
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25
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Hirose T, Ninomiya K, Nakagawa S, Yamazaki T. A guide to membraneless organelles and their various roles in gene regulation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:288-304. [PMID: 36424481 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00558-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 106.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Membraneless organelles (MLOs) are detected in cells as dots of mesoscopic size. By undergoing phase separation into a liquid-like or gel-like phase, MLOs contribute to intracellular compartmentalization of specific biological functions. In eukaryotes, dozens of MLOs have been identified, including the nucleolus, Cajal bodies, nuclear speckles, paraspeckles, promyelocytic leukaemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies, nuclear stress bodies, processing bodies (P bodies) and stress granules. MLOs contain specific proteins, of which many possess intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), and nucleic acids, mainly RNA. Many MLOs contribute to gene regulation by different mechanisms. Through sequestration of specific factors, MLOs promote biochemical reactions by simultaneously concentrating substrates and enzymes, and/or suppressing the activity of the sequestered factors elsewhere in the cell. Other MLOs construct inter-chromosomal hubs by associating with multiple loci, thereby contributing to the biogenesis of macromolecular machineries essential for gene expression, such as ribosomes and spliceosomes. The organization of many MLOs includes layers, which might have different biophysical properties and functions. MLOs are functionally interconnected and are involved in various diseases, prompting the emergence of therapeutics targeting them. In this Review, we introduce MLOs that are relevant to gene regulation and discuss their assembly, internal structure, gene-regulatory roles in transcription, RNA processing and translation, particularly in stress conditions, and their disease relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuro Hirose
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
- Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
| | - Kensuke Ninomiya
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Yamazaki
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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26
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Abramov VM, Kosarev IV, Machulin AV, Priputnevich TV, Deryusheva EI, Nemashkalova EL, Chikileva IO, Abashina TN, Panin AN, Melnikov VG, Suzina NE, Nikonov IN, Selina MV, Khlebnikov VS, Sakulin VK, Samoilenko VA, Gordeev AB, Sukhikh GT, Uversky VN, Karlyshev AV. Limosilactobacillus fermentum 3872 That Produces Class III Bacteriocin Forms Co-Aggregates with the Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains and Induces Their Lethal Damage. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12030471. [PMID: 36978338 PMCID: PMC10044573 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12030471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
LF3872 was isolated from the milk of a healthy lactating and breastfeeding woman. Earlier, the genome of LF3872 was sequenced, and a gene encoding unique bacteriocin was discovered. We have shown here that the LF3872 strain produces a novel thermolabile class III bacteriolysin (BLF3872), exhibiting antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Sequence analysis revealed the two-domain structural (lysozyme-like domain and peptidase M23 domain) organization of BLF3872. At least 25% residues of this protein are expected to be intrinsically disordered. Furthermore, BLF3872 is predicted to have a very high liquid-liquid phase separation. According to the electron microscopy data, the bacterial cells of LF3872 strain form co-aggregates with the S. aureus 8325-4 bacterial cells. LF3872 produced bacteriolysin BLF3872 that lyses the cells of the S. aureus 8325-4 mastitis-inducing strain. The sensitivity of the antibiotic-resistant S. aureus collection strains and freshly isolated antibiotic-resistant strains was tested using samples from women with lactation mastitis; the human nasopharynx and oral cavity; the oropharynx of pigs; and the cows with a diagnosis of clinical mastitis sensitive to the lytic action of the LF3872 strain producing BLF3872. The co-cultivation of LF3872 strain with various antibiotic-resistant S. aureus strains for 24 h reduced the level of living cells of these pathogens by six log. The LF3872 strain was found to be able to co-aggregate with all studied S. aureus strains. The cell-free culture supernatant of LF3872 (CSLF3872) induced S. aureus cell damage and ATP leakage. The effectiveness of the bacteriolytic action of LF3872 strain did not depend on the origin of the S. aureus strains. The results reported here are important for the creation of new effective drugs against antibiotic-resistant strains of S. aureus circulating in humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vyacheslav M. Abramov
- Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) Federal State Budgetary Institution “The Russian State Center for Animal Feed and Drug Standardization and Quality” (FGBU VGNKI), 123022 Moscow, Russia
- Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Igor V. Kosarev
- Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) Federal State Budgetary Institution “The Russian State Center for Animal Feed and Drug Standardization and Quality” (FGBU VGNKI), 123022 Moscow, Russia
- Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey V. Machulin
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of Russian Academy of Science”, Russian Academy of Science, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Tatiana V. Priputnevich
- Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgenia I. Deryusheva
- Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of Russian Academy of Science”, Russian Academy of Science, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Ekaterina L. Nemashkalova
- Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of Russian Academy of Science”, Russian Academy of Science, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Irina O. Chikileva
- Laboratory of Cell Immunity, Blokhin National Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health RF, 115478 Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana N. Abashina
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of Russian Academy of Science”, Russian Academy of Science, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Alexander N. Panin
- Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) Federal State Budgetary Institution “The Russian State Center for Animal Feed and Drug Standardization and Quality” (FGBU VGNKI), 123022 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vyacheslav G. Melnikov
- Gabrichevsky Research Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 125212 Moscow, Russia
| | - Nataliya E. Suzina
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of Russian Academy of Science”, Russian Academy of Science, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Ilia N. Nikonov
- Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K.I. Skryabin, 109472 Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina V. Selina
- Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K.I. Skryabin, 109472 Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Vadim K. Sakulin
- Institute of Immunological Engineering, 142380 Lyubuchany, Russia
| | - Vladimir A. Samoilenko
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of Russian Academy of Science”, Russian Academy of Science, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Alexey B. Gordeev
- Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Gennady T. Sukhikh
- Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Andrey V. Karlyshev
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education, Kingston University London, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK
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Liaisons dangereuses: Intrinsic Disorder in Cellular Proteins Recruited to Viral Infection-Related Biocondensates. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032151. [PMID: 36768473 PMCID: PMC9917183 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is responsible for the formation of so-called membrane-less organelles (MLOs) that are essential for the spatio-temporal organization of the cell. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) or regions (IDRs), either alone or in conjunction with nucleic acids, are involved in the formation of these intracellular condensates. Notably, viruses exploit LLPS at their own benefit to form viral replication compartments. Beyond giving rise to biomolecular condensates, viral proteins are also known to partition into cellular MLOs, thus raising the question as to whether these cellular phase-separating proteins are drivers of LLPS or behave as clients/regulators. Here, we focus on a set of eukaryotic proteins that are either sequestered in viral factories or colocalize with viral proteins within cellular MLOs, with the primary goal of gathering organized, predicted, and experimental information on these proteins, which constitute promising targets for innovative antiviral strategies. Using various computational approaches, we thoroughly investigated their disorder content and inherent propensity to undergo LLPS, along with their biological functions and interactivity networks. Results show that these proteins are on average, though to varying degrees, enriched in disorder, with their propensity for phase separation being correlated, as expected, with their disorder content. A trend, which awaits further validation, tends to emerge whereby the most disordered proteins serve as drivers, while more ordered cellular proteins tend instead to be clients of viral factories. In light of their high disorder content and their annotated LLPS behavior, most proteins in our data set are drivers or co-drivers of molecular condensation, foreshadowing a key role of these cellular proteins in the scaffolding of viral infection-related MLOs.
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28
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Zhu M, Zhang Z, Zhang T, Hofmann T, Chen W. Eco-Corona Dictates Mobility of Nanoplastics in Saturated Porous Media: The Critical Role of Preferential Binding of Macromolecules. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:331-339. [PMID: 36574476 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics are an increasing environmental concern. In aquatic environments, nanoplastics will acquire an eco-corona by interacting with macromolecules (e.g., humic substances and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)). Here, we show that the properties of the eco-corona and, consequently, its ability to enhance the transport of nanoplastics vary significantly with the surface functionality of nanoplastics and sources of macromolecules. The eco-corona derived from the EPS of Gram-negative Escherichia coli MG1655 enhances the transport of polystyrene (PS) nanospheres in saturated porous media to a much greater extent than the eco-corona derived from soil humic acid and fulvic acid. In comparison, the eco-corona from all three sources significantly enhance the transport of carboxylated PS (HOOC-PS). We show that the eco-corona inhibits the deposition of the two types of nanoplastics to the porous media mainly via steric repulsion. Accordingly, an eco-corona consisting of a higher mass of larger-sized macromolecules is generally more effective in enhancing transport. Notably, HOOC-PS tends to acquire macromolecules of lower hydrophobicity than PS. The more disordered and flexible structures of such macromolecules may result in greater elastic repulsion between the nanoplastics and sand grains and, consequently, greater transport enhancement. The findings of this study highlight the critical role of eco-corona formation in regulating the mobility of nanoplastics, as well as the complexity of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Zhu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Zhanhua Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Thilo Hofmann
- Department of Environmental Geosciences, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Wei Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
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29
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Biological soft matter: intrinsically disordered proteins in liquid-liquid phase separation and biomolecular condensates. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:831-847. [PMID: 36350034 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The facts that many proteins with crucial biological functions do not have unique structures and that many biological processes are compartmentalized into the liquid-like biomolecular condensates, which are formed via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and are not surrounded by the membrane, are revolutionizing the modern biology. These phenomena are interlinked, as the presence of intrinsic disorder represents an important requirement for a protein to undergo LLPS that drives biogenesis of numerous membrane-less organelles (MLOs). Therefore, one can consider these phenomena as crucial constituents of a new IDP-LLPS-MLO field. Furthermore, intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), LLPS, and MLOs represent a clear link between molecular and cellular biology and soft matter and condensed soft matter physics. Both IDP and LLPS/MLO fields are undergoing explosive development and generate the ever-increasing mountain of crucial data. These new data provide answers to so many long-standing questions that it is difficult to imagine that in the very recent past, protein scientists and cellular biologists operated without taking these revolutionary concepts into account. The goal of this essay is not to deliver a comprehensive review of the IDP-LLPS-MLO field but to provide a brief and rather subjective outline of some of the recent developments in these exciting fields.
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Different Intermolecular Interactions Drive Nonpathogenic Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation and Potentially Pathogenic Fibril Formation by TDP-43. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315227. [PMID: 36499553 PMCID: PMC9741235 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins has been found ubiquitously in eukaryotic cells, and is critical in the control of many biological processes by forming a temporary condensed phase with different bimolecular components. TDP-43 is recruited to stress granules in cells and is the main component of TDP-43 granules and proteinaceous amyloid inclusions in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). TDP-43 low complexity domain (LCD) is able to de-mix in solution, forming the protein condensed droplets, and amyloid aggregates would form from the droplets after incubation. The molecular interactions regulating TDP-43 LCD LLPS were investigated at the protein fusion equilibrium stage, when the droplets stopped growing after incubation. We found the molecules in the droplet were still liquid-like, but with enhanced intermolecular helix-helix interactions. The protein would only start to aggregate after a lag time and aggregate slower than at the condition when the protein does not phase separately into the droplets, or the molecules have a reduced intermolecular helix-helix interaction. In the protein condensed droplets, a structural transition intermediate toward protein aggregation was discovered involving a decrease in the intermolecular helix-helix interaction and a reduction in the helicity. Our results therefore indicate that different intermolecular interactions drive LLPS and fibril formation. The discovery that TDP-43 LCD aggregation was faster through the pathway without the first protein phase separation supports that LLPS and the intermolecular helical interaction could help maintain the stability of TDP-43 LCD.
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Chen Q, Zhao L, Soman A, Arkhipova AY, Li J, Li H, Chen Y, Shi X, Nordenskiöld L. Chromatin Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation (LLPS) Is Regulated by Ionic Conditions and Fiber Length. Cells 2022; 11:cells11193145. [PMID: 36231107 PMCID: PMC9564186 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamic regulation of the physical states of chromatin in the cell nucleus is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Chromatin can exist in solid- or liquid-like forms depending on the surrounding ions, binding proteins, post-translational modifications and many other factors. Several recent studies suggested that chromatin undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro and also in vivo; yet, controversial conclusions about the nature of chromatin LLPS were also observed from the in vitro studies. These inconsistencies are partially due to deviations in the in vitro buffer conditions that induce the condensation/aggregation of chromatin as well as to differences in chromatin (nucleosome array) constructs used in the studies. In this work, we present a detailed characterization of the effects of K+, Mg2+ and nucleosome fiber length on the physical state and property of reconstituted nucleosome arrays. LLPS was generally observed for shorter nucleosome arrays (15-197-601, reconstituted from 15 repeats of the Widom 601 DNA with 197 bp nucleosome repeat length) at physiological ion concentrations. In contrast, gel- or solid-like condensates were detected for the considerably longer 62-202-601 and lambda DNA (~48.5 kbp) nucleosome arrays under the same conditions. In addition, we demonstrated that the presence of reduced BSA and acetate buffer is not essential for the chromatin LLPS process. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of several factors regarding chromatin physical states and sheds light on the mechanism and biological relevance of chromatin phase separation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinming Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (Q.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Lei Zhao
- Department of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China; (L.Z.); (A.Y.A.); (J.L.); (H.L.); (Y.C.)
| | - Aghil Soman
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (Q.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Anastasia Yu Arkhipova
- Department of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China; (L.Z.); (A.Y.A.); (J.L.); (H.L.); (Y.C.)
- Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Jindi Li
- Department of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China; (L.Z.); (A.Y.A.); (J.L.); (H.L.); (Y.C.)
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China; (L.Z.); (A.Y.A.); (J.L.); (H.L.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yinglu Chen
- Department of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China; (L.Z.); (A.Y.A.); (J.L.); (H.L.); (Y.C.)
| | - Xiangyan Shi
- Department of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China; (L.Z.); (A.Y.A.); (J.L.); (H.L.); (Y.C.)
- Correspondence: (X.S.); (L.N.)
| | - Lars Nordenskiöld
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; (Q.C.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: (X.S.); (L.N.)
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Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation of Biomacromolecules and Its Roles in Metabolic Diseases. Cells 2022; 11:cells11193023. [PMID: 36230986 PMCID: PMC9562192 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) compartmentalizes and concentrates biomacromolecules into liquid-like condensates, which underlies membraneless organelles (MLOs) formation in eukaryotic cells. With increasing evidence of the LLPS concept and methods, this phenomenon as a novel principle accounts for explaining the precise spatial and temporal regulation of cellular functions. Moreover, the phenomenon that LLPS tends to concentrate proteins is often accompanied by several abnormal signals for human diseases. It is reported that multiple metabolic diseases are strongly associated with the deposition of insoluble proteinaceous aggregating termed amyloids. At present, recent studies have observed the roles of LLPS in several metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and metabolic bone diseases (MBDs). This review aims to expound on the current concept and methods of LLPS and summarize its vital roles in T2DM, AD, and MBDs, uncover novel mechanisms of these metabolic diseases, and thus provide powerful potential therapeutic strategies and targets for ameliorating these metabolic diseases.
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Ahmad A, Uversky VN, Khan RH. Aberrant liquid-liquid phase separation and amyloid aggregation of proteins related to neurodegenerative diseases. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 220:703-720. [PMID: 35998851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has shown that the processes of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) or liquid-liquid phase transitions (LLPTs) are a crucial and prevalent phenomenon that underlies the biogenesis of numerous membrane-less organelles (MLOs) and biomolecular condensates within the cells. Findings show that processes associated with LLPS play an essential role in physiology and disease. In this review, we discuss the physical and biomolecular factors that contribute to the development of LLPS, the associated functions, as well as their consequences for cell physiology and neurological disorders. Additionally, the finding of mis-regulated proteins, which have long been linked to aggregates in neuropathology, are also known to induce LLPS/LLPTs, prompting a lot of interest in understanding the connection between aberrant phase separation and disorder conditions. Moreover, the methods used in recent and ongoing studies in this field are also explored, as is the possibility that these findings will encourage new lines of inquiry into the molecular causes of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azeem Ahmad
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, U.P. 202002, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia.
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, U.P. 202002, India.
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Toto A, Sormanni P, Paissoni C, Uversky VN. Editorial: Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and Regions: The Challenge to the Structure-Function Relationship. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:962643. [PMID: 35874612 PMCID: PMC9296808 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.962643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Toto
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche “A. Rossi Fanelli” and Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari del CNR, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Sormanni
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina Paissoni
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Vladimir N. Uversky,
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Kulkarni P, Salgia R, Uversky VN. Intrinsic disorder, extraterrestrial peptides, and prebiotic life on the earth. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-5. [PMID: 35723592 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2088619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of mechanisms for the synthesis of homo-polymeric oligopeptides, such as polyglycine under conditions relevant to the astrophysical environment as well as in scenarios resembling primordial conditions that prevailed soon after Earth was formed, raises hopes in the search of extraterrestrial life. It also raises the possibility of extraterrestrial contribution to origin of life on Earth in the form of simple polypeptides. Bioinformatics analyses strongly predict such homo-polymeric peptides to be intrinsically disordered underscoring the potential involvement of IDPs in the origin of life which, even in its simplest form, could emerge spontaneously by autocatalysis of the primordial IDPs in self-organizing systems that evolved over time following natural selection.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.,Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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Badaczewska-Dawid AE, Uversky VN, Potoyan DA. BIAPSS: A Comprehensive Physicochemical Analyzer of Proteins Undergoing Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116204. [PMID: 35682883 PMCID: PMC9181037 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules is a phenomenon which is nowadays recognized as the driving force for the biogenesis of numerous functional membraneless organelles and cellular bodies. The interplay between the protein primary sequence and phase separation remains poorly understood, despite intensive research. To uncover the sequence-encoded signals of protein capable of undergoing LLPS, we developed a novel web platform named BIAPSS (Bioinformatics Analysis of LLPS Sequences). This web server provides on-the-fly analysis, visualization, and interpretation of the physicochemical and structural features for the superset of curated LLPS proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Correspondence: (V.N.U.); (D.A.P.)
| | - Davit A. Potoyan
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA;
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Correspondence: (V.N.U.); (D.A.P.)
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Krause LJ, Herrera MG, Winklhofer KF. The Role of Ubiquitin in Regulating Stress Granule Dynamics. Front Physiol 2022; 13:910759. [PMID: 35694405 PMCID: PMC9174786 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.910759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress granules (SGs) are dynamic, reversible biomolecular condensates, which assemble in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells under various stress conditions. Formation of SGs typically occurs upon stress-induced translational arrest and polysome disassembly. The increase in cytoplasmic mRNAs triggers the formation of a protein-RNA network that undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation when a critical interaction threshold has been reached. This adaptive stress response allows a transient shutdown of several cellular processes until the stress is removed. During the recovery from stress, SGs disassemble to re-establish cellular activities. Persistent stress and disease-related mutations in SG components favor the formation of aberrant SGs that are impaired in disassembly and prone to aggregation. Recently, posttranslational modifications of SG components have been identified as major regulators of SG dynamics. Here, we summarize new insights into the role of ubiquitination in affecting SG dynamics and clearance and discuss implications for neurodegenerative diseases linked to aberrant SG formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Krause
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- RESOLV Cluster of Excellence, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Maria G. Herrera
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Konstanze F. Winklhofer
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- RESOLV Cluster of Excellence, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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