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Boyer NP, Sharma R, Wiesner T, Delamare A, Pelletier F, Leterrier C, Roy S. Spectrin condensates provide a nidus for assembling the periodic axonal structure. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.05.597638. [PMID: 38895400 PMCID: PMC11185721 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.05.597638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Coordinated assembly of individual components into higher-order structures is a defining theme in biology, but underlying principles are not well-understood. In neurons, α/β spectrins, adducin, and actinfilaments assemble into a lattice wrapping underneath the axonal plasma membrane, but mechanistic events leading to this periodic axonal structure (PAS) are unclear. Visualizing PAS components in axons as they develop, we found focal patches in distal axons containing spectrins and adducin (but sparse actin filaments) with biophysical properties reminiscent of biomolecular condensation. Overexpressing spectrin-repeats - constituents of α/β-spectrins - in heterologous cells triggered condensate formation, and preventing association of βII-spectrin with actin-filaments/membranes also facilitated condensation. Finally, overexpressing condensate-triggering spectrin repeats in neurons before PAS establishment disrupted the lattice, presumably by competing with innate assembly, supporting a functional role for biomolecular condensation. We propose a condensation-assembly model where PAS components form focal phase-separated condensates that eventually unfurl into a stable lattice-structure by associating with subplasmalemmal actin. By providing local 'depots' of assembly parts, biomolecular condensation may play a wider role in the construction of intricate cytoskeletal structures.
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2
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Mukherjee S, Poudyal M, Dave K, Kadu P, Maji SK. Protein misfolding and amyloid nucleation through liquid-liquid phase separation. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:4976-5013. [PMID: 38597222 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs01065a] [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: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is an emerging phenomenon in cell physiology and diseases. The weak multivalent interaction prerequisite for LLPS is believed to be facilitated through intrinsically disordered regions, which are prevalent in neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins. These aggregation-prone proteins also exhibit an inherent property for phase separation, resulting in protein-rich liquid-like droplets. The very high local protein concentration in the water-deficient confined microenvironment not only drives the viscoelastic transition from the liquid to solid-like state but also most often nucleate amyloid fibril formation. Indeed, protein misfolding, oligomerization, and amyloid aggregation are observed to be initiated from the LLPS of various neurodegeneration-related proteins. Moreover, in these cases, neurodegeneration-promoting genetic and environmental factors play a direct role in amyloid aggregation preceded by the phase separation. These cumulative recent observations ignite the possibility of LLPS being a prominent nucleation mechanism associated with aberrant protein aggregation. The present review elaborates on the nucleation mechanism of the amyloid aggregation pathway and the possible early molecular events associated with amyloid-related protein phase separation. It also summarizes the recent advancement in understanding the aberrant phase transition of major proteins contributing to neurodegeneration focusing on the common disease-associated factors. Overall, this review proposes a generic LLPS-mediated multistep nucleation mechanism for amyloid aggregation and its implication in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semanti Mukherjee
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
| | - Manisha Poudyal
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
| | - Kritika Dave
- Sunita Sanghi Centre of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Pradeep Kadu
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
| | - Samir K Maji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India.
- Sunita Sanghi Centre of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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3
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Poudyal M, Patel K, Gadhe L, Sawner AS, Kadu P, Datta D, Mukherjee S, Ray S, Navalkar A, Maiti S, Chatterjee D, Devi J, Bera R, Gahlot N, Joseph J, Padinhateeri R, Maji SK. Intermolecular interactions underlie protein/peptide phase separation irrespective of sequence and structure at crowded milieu. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6199. [PMID: 37794023 PMCID: PMC10550955 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41864-9] [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: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has emerged as a crucial biological phenomenon underlying the sequestration of macromolecules (such as proteins and nucleic acids) into membraneless organelles in cells. Unstructured and intrinsically disordered domains are known to facilitate multivalent interactions driving protein LLPS. We hypothesized that LLPS could be an intrinsic property of proteins/polypeptides but with distinct phase regimes irrespective of their sequence and structure. To examine this, we studied many (a total of 23) proteins/polypeptides with different structures and sequences for LLPS study in the presence and absence of molecular crowder, polyethylene glycol (PEG-8000). We showed that all proteins and even highly charged polypeptides (under study) can undergo liquid condensate formation, however with different phase regimes and intermolecular interactions. We further demonstrated that electrostatic, hydrophobic, and H-bonding or a combination of such intermolecular interactions plays a crucial role in individual protein/peptide LLPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Poudyal
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Komal Patel
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
- Sunita Sanghi Centre of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Laxmikant Gadhe
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Ajay Singh Sawner
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Pradeep Kadu
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Debalina Datta
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Semanti Mukherjee
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Soumik Ray
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Ambuja Navalkar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Siddhartha Maiti
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
- Department of Bioengineering, VIT Bhopal University, Bhopal-Indore Highway, Kothrikalan, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, 466114, India
| | - Debdeep Chatterjee
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Jyoti Devi
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Riya Bera
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Nitisha Gahlot
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Jennifer Joseph
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Ranjith Padinhateeri
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Samir K Maji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India.
- Sunita Sanghi Centre of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India.
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4
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Toledo PL, Gianotti AR, Vazquez DS, Ermácora MR. Protein nanocondensates: the next frontier. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:515-530. [PMID: 37681092 PMCID: PMC10480383 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01105-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, myriads of studies have highlighted the central role of protein condensation in subcellular compartmentalization and spatiotemporal organization of biological processes. Conceptually, protein condensation stands at the highest level in protein structure hierarchy, accounting for the assembly of bodies ranging from thousands to billions of molecules and for densities ranging from dense liquids to solid materials. In size, protein condensates range from nanocondensates of hundreds of nanometers (mesoscopic clusters) to phase-separated micron-sized condensates. In this review, we focus on protein nanocondensation, a process that can occur in subsaturated solutions and can nucleate dense liquid phases, crystals, amorphous aggregates, and fibers. We discuss the nanocondensation of proteins in the light of general physical principles and examine the biophysical properties of several outstanding examples of nanocondensation. We conclude that protein nanocondensation cannot be fully explained by the conceptual framework of micron-scale biomolecular condensation. The evolution of nanocondensates through changes in density and order is currently under intense investigation, and this should lead to the development of a general theoretical framework, capable of encompassing the full range of sizes and densities found in protein condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela L. Toledo
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, 1876, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología, IMBICE, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Alejo R. Gianotti
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, 1876, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología, IMBICE, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Diego S. Vazquez
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, 1876, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología, IMBICE, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Mario R. Ermácora
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, 1876, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Grupo de Biología Estructural y Biotecnología, IMBICE, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
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5
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Sun X, Chintakunta PK, Badachhape AA, Bhavane R, Lee H, Yang DS, Starosolski Z, Ghaghada KB, Vekilov PG, Annapragada AV, Tanifum EA. Rational Design of a Self-Assembling High Performance Organic Nanofluorophore for Intraoperative NIR-II Image-Guided Tumor Resection of Oral Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206435. [PMID: 36721029 PMCID: PMC10074073 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The first line of treatment for most solid tumors is surgical resection of the primary tumor with adequate negative margins. Incomplete tumor resections with positive margins account for over 75% of local recurrences and the development of distant metastases. In cases of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the rate of successful tumor removal with adequate margins is just 50-75%. Advanced real-time imaging methods that improve the detection of tumor margins can help improve success rates,overall safety, and reduce the cost. Fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window has the potential to revolutionize the field due to its high spatial resolution, low background signal, and deep tissue penetration properties, but NIR-II dyes with adequate in vivo performance and safety profiles are scarce. A novel NIR-II fluorophore, XW-03-66, with a fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of 6.0% in aqueous media is reported. XW-03-66 self-assembles into nanoparticles (≈80 nm) and has a systemic circulation half-life (t1/2 ) of 11.3 h. In mouse models of human papillomavirus (HPV)+ and HPV- OSCC, XW-03-66 outperformed indocyanine green (ICG), a clinically available NIR dye, and enabled intraoperative NIR-II image-guided resection of the tumor and adjacent draining lymph node with negative margins. In vitro and in vivo toxicity assessments revealed minimal safety concerns for in vivo applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwei Sun
- Department of RadiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Praveen Kumar Chintakunta
- Department of RadiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
- Present address:
Sai Life Sciences LtdTurakapallyTelanganaIndia
| | | | - Rohan Bhavane
- Department of RadiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
- Department of RadiologyTexas Children's HospitalHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Huan‐Jui Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of HoustonHoustonTX77204USA
| | - David S. Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of HoustonHoustonTX77204USA
| | - Zbigniew Starosolski
- Department of RadiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
- Department of RadiologyTexas Children's HospitalHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Ketan B. Ghaghada
- Department of RadiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
- Department of RadiologyTexas Children's HospitalHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Peter G. Vekilov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of HoustonHoustonTX77204USA
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of HoustonHoustonTX77204USA
| | - Ananth V. Annapragada
- Department of RadiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
- Department of RadiologyTexas Children's HospitalHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Eric A. Tanifum
- Department of RadiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
- Department of RadiologyTexas Children's HospitalHoustonTX77030USA
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6
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Das D, Deniz AA. Topological Considerations in Biomolecular Condensation. Biomolecules 2023; 13:151. [PMID: 36671536 PMCID: PMC9855981 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular condensation and phase separation are increasingly understood to play crucial roles in cellular compartmentalization and spatiotemporal regulation of cell machinery implicated in function and pathology. A key aspect of current research is to gain insight into the underlying physical mechanisms of these processes. Accordingly, concepts of soft matter and polymer physics, the thermodynamics of mixing, and material science have been utilized for understanding condensation mechanisms of multivalent macromolecules resulting in viscoelastic mesoscopic supramolecular assemblies. Here, we focus on two topological concepts that have recently been providing key mechanistic understanding in the field. First, we will discuss how percolation provides a network-topology-related framework that offers an interesting paradigm to understand the complex networking of dense 'connected' condensate structures and, therefore, their phase behavior. Second, we will discuss the idea of entanglement as another topological concept that has deep roots in polymer physics and important implications for biomolecular condensates. We will first review some historical developments and fundamentals of these concepts, then we will discuss current advancements and recent examples. Our discussion ends with a few open questions and the challenges to address them, hinting at unveiling fresh possibilities for the modification of existing knowledge as well as the development of new concepts relevant to condensate science.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashok A. Deniz
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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7
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Kar M, Dar F, Welsh TJ, Vogel LT, Kühnemuth R, Majumdar A, Krainer G, Franzmann TM, Alberti S, Seidel CAM, Knowles TPJ, Hyman AA, Pappu RV. Phase-separating RNA-binding proteins form heterogeneous distributions of clusters in subsaturated solutions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202222119. [PMID: 35787038 DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.03.478969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular phase separation is thought to be one of the processes that drives the formation of membraneless biomolecular condensates in cells. The dynamics of phase separation are thought to follow the tenets of classical nucleation theory, and, therefore, subsaturated solutions should be devoid of clusters with more than a few molecules. We tested this prediction using in vitro biophysical studies to characterize subsaturated solutions of phase-separating RNA-binding proteins with intrinsically disordered prion-like domains and RNA-binding domains. Surprisingly, and in direct contradiction to expectations from classical nucleation theory, we find that subsaturated solutions are characterized by the presence of heterogeneous distributions of clusters. The distributions of cluster sizes, which are dominated by small species, shift continuously toward larger sizes as protein concentrations increase and approach the saturation concentration. As a result, many of the clusters encompass tens to hundreds of molecules, while less than 1% of the solutions are mesoscale species that are several hundred nanometers in diameter. We find that cluster formation in subsaturated solutions and phase separation in supersaturated solutions are strongly coupled via sequence-encoded interactions. We also find that cluster formation and phase separation can be decoupled using solutes as well as specific sets of mutations. Our findings, which are concordant with predictions for associative polymers, implicate an interplay between networks of sequence-specific and solubility-determining interactions that, respectively, govern cluster formation in subsaturated solutions and the saturation concentrations above which phase separation occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrityunjoy Kar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Furqan Dar
- Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Timothy J Welsh
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura T Vogel
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ralf Kühnemuth
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anupa Majumdar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Georg Krainer
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Titus M Franzmann
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Simon Alberti
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Claus A M Seidel
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A Hyman
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
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8
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Kar M, Dar F, Welsh TJ, Vogel LT, Kühnemuth R, Majumdar A, Krainer G, Franzmann TM, Alberti S, Seidel CAM, Knowles TPJ, Hyman AA, Pappu RV. Phase-separating RNA-binding proteins form heterogeneous distributions of clusters in subsaturated solutions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202222119. [PMID: 35787038 PMCID: PMC9282234 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202222119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular phase separation is thought to be one of the processes that drives the formation of membraneless biomolecular condensates in cells. The dynamics of phase separation are thought to follow the tenets of classical nucleation theory, and, therefore, subsaturated solutions should be devoid of clusters with more than a few molecules. We tested this prediction using in vitro biophysical studies to characterize subsaturated solutions of phase-separating RNA-binding proteins with intrinsically disordered prion-like domains and RNA-binding domains. Surprisingly, and in direct contradiction to expectations from classical nucleation theory, we find that subsaturated solutions are characterized by the presence of heterogeneous distributions of clusters. The distributions of cluster sizes, which are dominated by small species, shift continuously toward larger sizes as protein concentrations increase and approach the saturation concentration. As a result, many of the clusters encompass tens to hundreds of molecules, while less than 1% of the solutions are mesoscale species that are several hundred nanometers in diameter. We find that cluster formation in subsaturated solutions and phase separation in supersaturated solutions are strongly coupled via sequence-encoded interactions. We also find that cluster formation and phase separation can be decoupled using solutes as well as specific sets of mutations. Our findings, which are concordant with predictions for associative polymers, implicate an interplay between networks of sequence-specific and solubility-determining interactions that, respectively, govern cluster formation in subsaturated solutions and the saturation concentrations above which phase separation occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrityunjoy Kar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Furqan Dar
- Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Timothy J. Welsh
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura T. Vogel
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ralf Kühnemuth
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anupa Majumdar
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Georg Krainer
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Titus M. Franzmann
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Simon Alberti
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Claus A. M. Seidel
- Department of Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A. Hyman
- Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Rohit V. Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Science & Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
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Zong S, Wang J, Huang X, Wu H, Liu Q, Hao H. Formation and stabilization mechanism of mesoscale clusters in solution. IUCRJ 2022; 9:215-222. [PMID: 35371509 PMCID: PMC8895010 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252521012987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
To understand the existence of complex meso-sized solute-rich clusters, which challenge the understanding of phases and phase equilibria, the formation and stabilization mechanisms of clusters in solution during nucleation of crystals and the associated physico-chemical rules are studied in detail. An essential part of the mechanism is the formation of long-lived oligomers between solute molecules. By means of density functional theory simulation and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, this work showed that the oligomers in solution tend to be π-π stacking dimers. Clusters are formed under the combined effect of diffusion and monomer-dimer reaction. The physically meaningful quantities such as the monomer-dimer reaction rate constants and the diffusion coefficients of both species were obtained by reaction-diffusion kinetics and diffusion-ordered spectroscopy results. The evolution of cluster radius as a function of time, and the qualitative spatial distributions of monomer and dimer densities under steady-state were plotted to better understand the formation process and the nature of the clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyi Zong
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingkang Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Huang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hao Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongxun Hao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, People’s Republic of China
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570208, People’s Republic of China
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10
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Nucleation of glucose isomerase protein crystals in a nonclassical disguise: The role of crystalline precursors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2108674119. [PMID: 35101915 PMCID: PMC8851477 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108674119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of proteins to self-assemble into complex, hierarchical structures has been the inspiration for the bottom-up design of a class of biomaterials with proteins as their building blocks. The earliest stages of formation often involve the passing of an activation barrier under the form of nucleus formation, a quaternary protein complex that templates incoming molecules to proper registry. For protein crystallization, the consensus has emerged that the fastest route toward a nucleus follows a winding path: first, densification, followed by symmetry formation. In this contribution, we show that this need not be the case for the protein glucose isomerase, which seems to follow the simplest path to a nucleus, making crystalline clusters from the earliest detectable beginnings. Protein crystallization is an astounding feat of nature. Even though proteins are large, anisotropic molecules with complex, heterogeneous surfaces, they can spontaneously group into two- and three-dimensional arrays with high precision. And yet, the biggest hurdle in this assembly process, the formation of a nucleus, is still poorly understood. In recent years, the two-step nucleation model has emerged as the consensus on the subject, but it still awaits extensive experimental verification. Here, we set out to reconstruct the nucleation pathway of the candidate protein glucose isomerase (GI), for which there have been indications that it may follow a two-step nucleation pathway under certain conditions. We find that the precursor phase present during the early stages of the reaction process is nanoscopic crystallites that have lattice symmetry equivalent to the mature crystals found at the end of a crystallization experiment. Our observations underscore the need for experimental data at a lattice-resolving resolution on other proteins so that a general picture of protein crystal nucleation can be formed.
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11
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Strofaldi A, Khan AR, McManus JJ. Surface Exposed Free Cysteine Suppresses Crystallization of Human γD-Crystallin. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167252. [PMID: 34537240 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167252] [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: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Human γD-crystallin (HGD) has remarkable stability against condensation in the human lens, sometimes over a whole lifetime. The native protein has a surface exposed free cysteine that forms dimers (Benedek, 1997; Ramkumar et al., 1864)1,2 without specific biological function and leads to further protein association and/or aggregation, which creates a paradox for understanding its stability. Previous work has demonstrated that chemical modification of the protein at the free cysteine (C110), increases the temperature at which liquid-liquid phase separation occurs (LLPS), lowers protein solubility and suggests an important role for this amino acid in maintaining its long-term resistance to condensation. Here we demonstrate that mutation of the cysteine does not alter the structure or solubility (liquidus) line for the protein, but dramatically increases the protein crystal nucleation rate following LLPS, suggesting that the free cysteine has a vital role in suppressing crystallization in the human lens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Strofaldi
- Department of Chemistry, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland; H. H Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, United Kingdom
| | - Amir R Khan
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA; School of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jennifer J McManus
- H. H Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, United Kingdom.
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12
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Fahim A, Annunziata O. Effect of a Good buffer on the fate of metastable protein-rich droplets near physiological composition. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 186:519-527. [PMID: 34265335 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Metastable protein-rich microdroplets are produced from liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of protein aqueous solutions. These globules can be intermediates for the formation of other protein-rich phases. Lysozyme aqueous solutions undergo LLPS around 0 °C in the presence of NaCl near physiological conditions. Here, it is shown that insertion of small amounts of 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonate (HEPES, 0.1 M) as a second additive to lysozyme-NaCl-water solutions near physiological ionic strength (0.2 M) is an essential step for triggering conversion of protein-rich droplets into another phase. Specifically, LLPS induced by cooling reproducibly leads to a rapid and high-yield formation of compact tetragonal crystalline microparticles only in the presence of HEPES. These microcrystals exhibit small size (1-3 μm), narrow size distribution and guest-binding properties. The temperature-concentration phase diagram shows a characteristic topology with LLPS boundary metastable with respect to tetragonal microcrystals, which in turn become less stable than rod-shaped orthorhombic crystals above 40 °C. Interestingly, dynamic light scattering, hydrogen-ion titrations and isothermal titration calorimetry reveal that lysozyme-HEPES interactions were found to be weakly attractive and exothermic. Our findings indicate that additives of salting-in type can represent an important factor controlling the fate of metastable protein-rich microdroplets relevant to drug formulations, femtosecond crystallography, and potential implications in protein-driven cytoplasmic compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Fahim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, 2950 W. Bowie St., Sid Richardson Bldg. #438, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA
| | - Onofrio Annunziata
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, 2950 W. Bowie St., Sid Richardson Bldg. #438, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA..
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13
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The Ambiguous Functions of the Precursors That Enable Nonclassical Modes of Olanzapine Nucleation and Growth. CRYSTALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst11070738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
One of the most consequential assumptions of the classical theories of crystal nucleation and growth is the Szilard postulate, which states that molecules from a supersaturated phase join a nucleus or a growing crystal individually. In the last 20 years, observations in complex biological, geological, and engineered environments have brought to light violations of the Szilard rule, whereby molecules assemble into ordered or disordered precursors that then host and promote nucleation or contribute to fast crystal growth. Nonclassical crystallization has risen to a default mode presumed to operate in the majority of the inspected crystallizing systems. In some cases, the existence of precursors in the growth media is admitted as proof for their role in nucleation and growth. With the example of olanzapine, a marketed drug for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, we demonstrate that molecular assemblies in the solution selectively participate in crystal nucleation and growth. In aqueous and organic solutions, olanzapine assembles into both mesoscopic solute-rich clusters and dimers. The clusters facilitate nucleation of crystals and crystal form transformations. During growth, however, the clusters land on the crystal surface and transform into defects, but do not support step growth. The dimers are present at low concentrations in the supersaturated solution, yet the crystals grow by the association of dimers, and not of the majority monomers. The observations with olanzapine emphasize that detailed studies of the crystal and solution structures and the dynamics of molecular association may empower classical and nonclassical models that advance the understanding of natural crystallization, and support the design and manufacture of promising functional materials.
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14
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Yang DS, Saeedi A, Davtyan A, Fathi M, Sherman MB, Safari MS, Klindziuk A, Barton MC, Varadarajan N, Kolomeisky AB, Vekilov PG. Mesoscopic protein-rich clusters host the nucleation of mutant p53 amyloid fibrils. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2015618118. [PMID: 33653952 PMCID: PMC7958401 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015618118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The protein p53 is a crucial tumor suppressor, often called "the guardian of the genome"; however, mutations transform p53 into a powerful cancer promoter. The oncogenic capacity of mutant p53 has been ascribed to enhanced propensity to fibrillize and recruit other cancer fighting proteins in the fibrils, yet the pathways of fibril nucleation and growth remain obscure. Here, we combine immunofluorescence three-dimensional confocal microscopy of human breast cancer cells with light scattering and transmission electron microscopy of solutions of the purified protein and molecular simulations to illuminate the mechanisms of phase transformations across multiple length scales, from cellular to molecular. We report that the p53 mutant R248Q (R, arginine; Q, glutamine) forms, both in cancer cells and in solutions, a condensate with unique properties, mesoscopic protein-rich clusters. The clusters dramatically diverge from other protein condensates. The cluster sizes are decoupled from the total cluster population volume and independent of the p53 concentration and the solution concentration at equilibrium with the clusters varies. We demonstrate that the clusters carry out a crucial biological function: they host and facilitate the nucleation of amyloid fibrils. We demonstrate that the p53 clusters are driven by structural destabilization of the core domain and not by interactions of its extensive unstructured region, in contradistinction to the dense liquids typical of disordered and partially disordered proteins. Two-step nucleation of mutant p53 amyloids suggests means to control fibrillization and the associated pathologies through modifying the cluster characteristics. Our findings exemplify interactions between distinct protein phases that activate complex physicochemical mechanisms operating in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Yang
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
| | - Arash Saeedi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
| | - Aram Davtyan
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251
| | - Mohsen Fathi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
| | - Michael B Sherman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Mohammad S Safari
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | | | - Michelle C Barton
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Navin Varadarajan
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
| | - Anatoly B Kolomeisky
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251
| | - Peter G Vekilov
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
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15
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Nikfarjam S, Jouravleva EV, Anisimov MA, Woehl TJ. Effects of Protein Unfolding on Aggregation and Gelation in Lysozyme Solutions. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10091262. [PMID: 32887233 PMCID: PMC7563771 DOI: 10.3390/biom10091262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, we investigate the role of folding/unfolding equilibrium in protein aggregation and formation of a gel network. Near the neutral pH and at a low buffer ionic strength, the formation of the gel network around unfolding conditions prevents investigations of protein aggregation. In this study, by deploying the fact that in lysozyme solutions the time of folding/unfolding is much shorter than the characteristic time of gelation, we have prevented gelation by rapidly heating the solution up to the unfolding temperature (~80 °C) for a short time (~30 min.) followed by fast cooling to the room temperature. Dynamic light scattering measurements show that if the gelation is prevented, nanosized irreversible aggregates (about 10–15 nm radius) form over a time scale of 10 days. These small aggregates persist and aggregate further into larger aggregates over several weeks. If gelation is not prevented, the nanosized aggregates become the building blocks for the gel network and define its mesh length scale. These results support our previously published conclusion on the nature of mesoscopic aggregates commonly observed in solutions of lysozyme, namely that aggregates do not form from lysozyme monomers in their native folded state. Only with the emergence of a small fraction of unfolded proteins molecules will the aggregates start to appear and grow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakiba Nikfarjam
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; (S.N.); (T.J.W.)
| | - Elena V. Jouravleva
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;
| | - Mikhail A. Anisimov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; (S.N.); (T.J.W.)
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Taylor J. Woehl
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; (S.N.); (T.J.W.)
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G. Vekilov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
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17
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Multi-Step Concanavalin A Phase Separation and Early-Stage Nucleation Monitored Via Dynamic and Depolarized Light Scattering. CRYSTALS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst9120620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Protein phase separation and protein liquid cluster formation have been observed and analysed in protein crystallization experiments and, in recent years, have been reported more frequently, especially in studies related to membraneless organelles and protein cluster formation in cells. A detailed understanding about the phase separation process preceding liquid dense cluster formation will elucidate what has, so far, been poorly understood—despite intracellular crowding and phase separation being very common processes—and will also provide more insights into the early events of in vitro protein crystallization. In this context, the phase separation and crystallization kinetics of concanavalin A were analysed in detail, which applies simultaneous dynamic light scattering and depolarized dynamic light scattering to obtain insights into metastable intermediate states between the soluble phase and the crystalline form. A multi-step mechanism was identified for ConA phase separation, according to the resultant ACF decay, acquired after an increase in the concentration of the crowding agent until a metastable ConA gel intermediate between the soluble and final crystalline phases was observed. The obtained results also revealed that ConA is trapped in a macromolecular network due to short-range intermolecular protein interactions and is unable to transform back into a non-ergodic solution.
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18
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Abstract
Comprehensive data about the composition and structure of cellular components have enabled the construction of quantitative whole-cell models. While kinetic network-type models have been established, it is also becoming possible to build physical, molecular-level models of cellular environments. This review outlines challenges in constructing and simulating such models and discusses near- and long-term opportunities for developing physical whole-cell models that can connect molecular structure with biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Feig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Function Simulation, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yuji Sugita
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Function Simulation, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
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19
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Nikfarjam S, Ghorbani M, Adhikari S, Karlsson AJ, Jouravleva EV, Woehl TJ, Anisimov MA. Irreversible Nature of Mesoscopic Aggregates in Lysozyme Solutions. COLLOID JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1061933x19050090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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20
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Dear BJ, Chowdhury A, Hung JJ, Karouta CA, Ramachandran K, Nieto MP, Wilks LR, Sharma A, Shay TY, Cheung JK, Truskett TM, Johnston KP. Relating Collective Diffusion, Protein–Protein Interactions, and Viscosity of Highly Concentrated Monoclonal Antibodies through Dynamic Light Scattering. Ind Eng Chem Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.9b03432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Barton J. Dear
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Amjad Chowdhury
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jessica J. Hung
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Carl A. Karouta
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Kishan Ramachandran
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Maria P. Nieto
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Logan R. Wilks
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Ayush Sharma
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Tony Y. Shay
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jason K. Cheung
- Biophysical and Biochemical Characterization, Sterile Formulation Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Thomas M. Truskett
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Keith P. Johnston
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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21
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Anomalous Dense Liquid Condensates Host the Nucleation of Tumor Suppressor p53 Fibrils. iScience 2019; 12:342-355. [PMID: 30739016 PMCID: PMC6369220 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
About half of human cancers are associated with mutations of the tumor suppressor p53. Gained oncogenic functions of the mutants have been related to aggregation behaviors of wild-type and mutant p53. The thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms of p53 aggregation are poorly understood. Here we find that wild-type p53 forms an anomalous liquid phase. The liquid condensates exhibit several behaviors beyond the scope of classical phase transition theories: their size, ca. 100 nm, is independent of the p53 concentration and decoupled from the protein mass held in the liquid phase. Furthermore, the liquid phase lacks constant solubility. The nucleation of p53 fibrils deviates from the accepted mechanism of sequential association of single solute molecules. We find that the liquid condensates serve as pre-assembled precursors of high p53 concentration that facilitate fibril assembly. Fibril nucleation hosted by precursors represents a novel biological pathway, which opens avenues to suppress protein fibrillation in aggregation diseases.
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22
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Boire A, Sanchez C, Morel MH, Lettinga MP, Menut P. Dynamics of liquid-liquid phase separation of wheat gliadins. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14441. [PMID: 30262869 PMCID: PMC6160421 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32278-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
During wheat seeds development, storage proteins are synthetized and subsequently form dense protein phases, also called Protein Bodies (PBs). The mechanisms of PBs formation and the supramolecular assembly of storage proteins in PBs remain unclear. In particular, there is an apparent contradiction between the low solubility in water of storage proteins and their high local dynamics in dense PBs. Here, we probe the interplay between short-range attraction and long-range repulsion of a wheat gliadin isolate by investigating the dynamics of liquid-liquid phase separation after temperature quench. We do so using time-resolved small angle light scattering, phase contrast microscopy and rheology. We show that gliadins undergo liquid-liquid phase separation through Nucleation and Growth or Spinodal Decomposition depending on the quench depth. They assemble into dense phases but remain in a liquid-like state over an extended range of temperatures and concentrations. The analysis of phase separation kinetics reveals that the attraction strength of gliadins is in the same order of magnitude as other proteins. We discuss the respective role of competing interactions, protein intrinsic disorder, hydration and polydispersity in promoting local dynamics and providing this liquid-like behavior despite attractive forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Boire
- UMR IATE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, INRA, CIRAD, 2, Place Viala, 34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France. .,INRA, UR1268 Biopolymers Interactions Assemblies, 44300, Nantes, France.
| | - Christian Sanchez
- UMR IATE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, INRA, CIRAD, 2, Place Viala, 34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Morel
- UMR IATE, INRA, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, CIRAD, 2, Place Viala, 34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France
| | - Minne Paul Lettinga
- Soft Condensed Matter Group ICS3, Jülich Forschungscentrum, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul Menut
- UMR IATE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, INRA, CIRAD, 2, Place Viala, 34060, Montpellier Cedex 1, France.,Ingénierie Procédés Aliments, AgroParisTech, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, 91300, Massy, France
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23
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Zhang F. Nonclassical nucleation pathways in protein crystallization. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2017; 29:443002. [PMID: 28984274 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aa8253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Classical nucleation theory (CNT), which was established about 90 years ago, has been very successful in many research fields, and continues to be the most commonly used theory in describing the nucleation process. For a fluid-to-solid phase transition, CNT states that the solute molecules in a supersaturated solution reversibly form small clusters. Once the cluster size reaches a critical value, it becomes thermodynamically stable and favored for further growth. One of the most important assumptions of CNT is that the nucleation process is described by one reaction coordinate and all order parameters proceed simultaneously. Recent studies in experiments, computer simulations and theory have revealed nonclassical features in the early stage of nucleation. In particular, the decoupling of order parameters involved during a fluid-to-solid transition leads to the so-called two-step nucleation mechanism, in which a metastable intermediate phase (MIP) exists between the initial supersaturated solution and the final crystals. Depending on the exact free energy landscapes, the MIPs can be a high density liquid phase, mesoscopic clusters, or a pre-ordered state. In this review, we focus on the studies of nonclassical pathways in protein crystallization and discuss the applications of the various scenarios of two-step nucleation theory. In particular, we focus on protein solutions in the presence of multivalent salts, which serve as a model protein system to study the nucleation pathways. We wish to point out the unique features of proteins as model systems for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fajun Zhang
- Universität Tübingen, Institut für Angewandte Physik, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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24
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Safari MS, Byington MC, Conrad JC, Vekilov PG. Polymorphism of Lysozyme Condensates. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:9091-9101. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b05425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad S. Safari
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204-4004, United States
| | - Michael C. Byington
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204-4004, United States
| | - Jacinta C. Conrad
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204-4004, United States
| | - Peter G. Vekilov
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204-4004, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Houston, 3585 Cullen Blvd., Houston, Texas 77204-5003, United States
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25
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Adawy A, Amghouz Z, van Hest JCM, Wilson DA. Sub-Micron Polymeric Stomatocytes as Promising Templates for Confined Crystallization and Diffraction Experiments. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2017; 13:1700642. [PMID: 28558135 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201700642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The possibility of using sub-micrometer polymeric stomatocytes is investigated to effectuate confined crystallization of inorganic compounds. These bowl-shaped polymeric compartments facilitate confined crystallization while their glassy surfaces provide their crystalline cargos with convenient shielding from the electron beam's harsh effects during transmission electron microscopy experiments. Stomatocytes host the growth of a single nanocrystal per nanocavity, and the electron diffraction experiments reveal that their glassy membranes do not interfere with the diffraction patterns obtained from their crystalline cargos. Therefore, it is expected that the encapsulation and crystallization within these compartments can be considered as a promising template (nanovials) that hold and protect nanocrystals and protein clusters from the direct radiation damage before data acquisition, while they are examined by modern crystallography methodologies such as serial femtosecond crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Adawy
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, 6525, AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Zakariae Amghouz
- HRTEM Laboratory, Scientific-Technical Services, University of Oviedo-CINN, Oviedo, 33006, Spain
| | - Jan C M van Hest
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, 6525, AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Daniela A Wilson
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, 6525, AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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26
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Ma X, Zhang S, Jiao F, Newcomb CJ, Zhang Y, Prakash A, Liao Z, Baer MD, Mundy CJ, Pfaendtner J, Noy A, Chen CL, De Yoreo JJ. Tuning crystallization pathways through sequence engineering of biomimetic polymers. NATURE MATERIALS 2017; 16:767-774. [PMID: 28414316 DOI: 10.1038/nmat4891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Two-step nucleation pathways in which disordered, amorphous, or dense liquid states precede the appearance of crystalline phases have been reported for a wide range of materials, but the dynamics of such pathways are poorly understood. Moreover, whether these pathways are general features of crystallizing systems or a consequence of system-specific structural details that select for direct versus two-step processes is unknown. Using atomic force microscopy to directly observe crystallization of sequence-defined polymers, we show that crystallization pathways are indeed sequence dependent. When a short hydrophobic region is added to a sequence that directly forms crystalline particles, crystallization instead follows a two-step pathway that begins with the creation of disordered clusters of 10-20 molecules and is characterized by highly non-linear crystallization kinetics in which clusters transform into ordered structures that then enter the growth phase. The results shed new light on non-classical crystallization mechanisms and have implications for the design of self-assembling polymer systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Ma
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
| | - Fang Jiao
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Christina J Newcomb
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
| | - Yuliang Zhang
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - Arushi Prakash
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Zhihao Liao
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
- Center for Biomaterials and Biopathways, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China
| | - Marcel D Baer
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
| | - Christopher J Mundy
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - James Pfaendtner
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Aleksandr Noy
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
- School of Natural Sciences University of California Merced, Merced, California 95343, USA
| | - Chun-Long Chen
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
| | - James J De Yoreo
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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27
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Kolomeisky AB. Staying Together: Protein Molecules in Mesoscopic Clusters. Biophys J 2016; 109:1759-60. [PMID: 26536252 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anatoly B Kolomeisky
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas.
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28
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Vorontsova MA, Vekilov PG, Maes D. Characterization of the diffusive dynamics of particles with time-dependent asymmetric microscopy intensity profiles. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:6926-6936. [PMID: 27489111 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm00946h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We put forth an algorithm to track isolated micron-size solid and liquid particles that produce time-dependent asymmetric intensity patterns. This method quantifies the displacement of a particle in the image plane from the peak of a spatial cross-correlation function with a reference image. The peak sharpness results in subpixel resolution. We demonstrate the utility of the method for tracking liquid droplets with changing shapes and micron-size particles producing images with exaggerated asymmetry. We compare the accuracy of diffusivity determination with particles of known size by this method to that by common tracking techniques and demonstrate that our algorithm is superior. We address several open questions on the characterization of diffusive behaviors. We show that for particles, diffusing with a root-mean-square displacement of 0.6 pixel widths in the time between two successive recorded frames, more accurate diffusivity determinations result from mean squared displacement (MSD) for lag times up to 5 time intervals and that MSDs determined from non-overlapping displacements do not yield more accurate diffusivities. We discuss the optimal length of image sequences and demonstrate that lower frame rates do not affect the accuracy of the estimated diffusivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Vorontsova
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Peter G Vekilov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA. and Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
| | - Dominique Maes
- Structural Biology Brussels, SBB, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
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29
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Byington MC, Safari MS, Conrad JC, Vekilov PG. Protein Conformational Flexibility Enables the Formation of Dense Liquid Clusters: Tests Using Solution Shear. J Phys Chem Lett 2016; 7:2339-2345. [PMID: 27267087 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
According to recently proposed two-step nucleation mechanisms, crystal nuclei form within preexisting dense liquid clusters. Clusters with radii about 100 nm, which capture from 10(-7) to 10(-3) of the total protein, have been observed with numerous proteins and shown to host crystal nucleation. Theories aiming to understand the mesoscopic size and small protein fraction held in the clusters have proposed that in solutions of single-chain proteins, the clusters consist of partially misfolded protein molecules. To test this conjecture, we perturb the protein conformation by shearing solutions of the protein lysozyme. We demonstrate that shear rates greater than a threshold applied for longer than 1 h reduce the volume of the cluster population. The likely mechanism of the observed response involves enhanced partial unfolding of lysozyme molecules, which exposes hydrophobic surfaces between the constituent domains to the aqueous solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Byington
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204-4004, United States
| | - Mohammad S Safari
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204-4004, United States
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204-4004, United States
| | - Peter G Vekilov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77204-4004, United States
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