1
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Kelley FM, Ani A, Pinlac EG, Linders B, Favetta B, Barai M, Ma Y, Singh A, Dignon GL, Gu Y, Schuster BS. Controlled and orthogonal partitioning of large particles into biomolecular condensates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.11.603072. [PMID: 39071308 PMCID: PMC11275771 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.11.603072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates arising from liquid-liquid phase separation contribute to diverse cellular processes, such as gene expression. Partitioning of client molecules into condensates is critical to regulating the composition and function of condensates. Previous studies suggest that client size limits partitioning, with dextrans >5 nm excluded from condensates. Here, we asked whether larger particles, such as macromolecular complexes, can partition into condensates based on particle-condensate interactions. We sought to discover the biophysical principles that govern particle inclusion in or exclusion from condensates using polymer nanoparticles with tailored surface chemistries as models of macromolecular complexes. Particles coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) did not partition into condensates. We next leveraged the PEGylated particles as an inert platform to which we conjugated specific adhesive moieties. Particles functionalized with biotin partitioned into condensates containing streptavidin, driven by high-affinity biotin-streptavidin binding. Oligonucleotide-decorated particles exhibited varying degrees of partitioning into condensates, depending on condensate composition. Partitioning of oligonucleotide-coated particles was tuned by altering salt concentration, oligonucleotide length, and oligonucleotide surface density. Remarkably, beads with distinct surface chemistries partitioned orthogonally into immiscible condensates. Based on our experiments, we conclude that arbitrarily large particles can controllably partition into biomolecular condensates given sufficiently strong condensate-particle interactions, a conclusion also supported by our coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and theory. These findings may provide insights into how various cellular processes are achieved based on partitioning of large clients into biomolecular condensates, as well as offer design principles for the development of drug delivery systems that selectively target disease-related biomolecular condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleurie M. Kelley
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Anas Ani
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Emily G. Pinlac
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Bridget Linders
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Bruna Favetta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Mayur Barai
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Yuchen Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Arjun Singh
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Gregory L. Dignon
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Yuwei Gu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Benjamin S. Schuster
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
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2
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Zou H, Boboltz A, Cheema Y, Song D, Cahn D, Duncan GA. Synthetic mucus barrier arrays as a nanoparticle formulation screening platform. RSC PHARMACEUTICS 2024; 1:218-226. [PMID: 38899149 PMCID: PMC11185047 DOI: 10.1039/d3pm00057e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
A mucus gel layer lines the luminal surface of tissues throughout the body to protect them from infectious agents and particulates. As a result, nanoparticle drug delivery systems delivered to these sites may become trapped in mucus and subsequently cleared before they can reach target cells. As such, optimizing the properties of nanoparticle delivery vehicles, such as their surface chemistry and size, is essential to improving their penetration through the mucus barrier. In previous work, we developed a mucin-based hydrogel that has viscoelastic properties like that of native mucus which can be further tailored to mimic specific mucosal tissues and disease states. Using this biomimetic hydrogel system, a 3D-printed array containing synthetic mucus barriers was created that is compatible with a 96-well plate enabling its use as a high-throughput screening platform for nanoparticle drug delivery applications. To validate this system, we evaluated several established design parameters to determine their impact on nanoparticle penetration through synthetic mucus barriers. Consistent with the literature, we found nanoparticles of smaller size and coated with a protective PEG layer more efficiently penetrated through synthetic mucus barriers. In addition, we evaluated a mucolytic (tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine, TCEP) for use as a permeation enhancer for mucosal drug delivery. In comparison to N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), we found TCEP significantly improved nanoparticle penetration through a disease-like synthetic mucus barrier. Overall, our results establish a new high-throughput screening approach using synthetic mucus barrier arrays to identify promising nanoparticle formulation strategies for drug delivery to mucosal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Zou
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
| | - Allison Boboltz
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
| | - Yahya Cheema
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
| | - Daniel Song
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
| | - Devorah Cahn
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
| | - Gregg A Duncan
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
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3
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Zou H, Boboltz A, Cheema Y, Song D, Duncan GA. Synthetic mucus barrier arrays as a nanoparticle formulation screening platform. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.29.569212. [PMID: 38076819 PMCID: PMC10705391 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.29.569212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
A mucus gel layer lines the luminal surface of tissues throughout the body to protect them from infectious agents and particulates. As a result, nanoparticle drug delivery systems delivered to these sites may become trapped in mucus and subsequently cleared before they can reach target cells. As such, optimizing the properties of nanoparticle delivery vehicles, such as their surface chemistry and size, is essential to improving their penetration through the mucus barrier. In previous work, we developed a mucin-based hydrogel that has viscoelastic properties like that of native mucus which can be further tailored to mimic specific mucosal tissues and disease states. Using this biomimetic hydrogel system, a 3D-printed array containing synthetic mucus barriers was created that is compatible with a 96-well plate enabling its use as a high-throughput screening platform for nanoparticle drug delivery applications. To validate this system, we evaluated several established design parameters to determine their impact on nanoparticle penetration through synthetic mucus barriers. Consistent with the literature, we found nanoparticles of smaller size and coated with a protective PEG layer more efficiently penetrated through synthetic mucus barriers. In addition, we evaluated a mucolytic (tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine, TCEP) for use as a permeation enhancer for mucosal drug delivery. In comparison to N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), we found TCEP significantly improved nanoparticle penetration through a disease-like synthetic mucus barrier. Overall, our results establish a new high-throughput screening approach using synthetic mucus barrier arrays to identify promising nanoparticle formulation strategies for drug delivery to mucosal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Zou
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Allison Boboltz
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yahya Cheema
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Daniel Song
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Gregg A. Duncan
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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4
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Mu X, Chen FD, Dang KM, Brunk MGK, Li J, Wahn H, Stalmashonak A, Ding P, Luo X, Chua H, Lo GQ, Poon JKS, Sacher WD. Implantable photonic neural probes with 3D-printed microfluidics and applications to uncaging. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1213265. [PMID: 37521687 PMCID: PMC10373094 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1213265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in chip-scale photonic-electronic integration are enabling a new generation of foundry-manufacturable implantable silicon neural probes incorporating nanophotonic waveguides and microelectrodes for optogenetic stimulation and electrophysiological recording in neuroscience research. Further extending neural probe functionalities with integrated microfluidics is a direct approach to achieve neurochemical injection and sampling capabilities. In this work, we use two-photon polymerization 3D printing to integrate microfluidic channels onto photonic neural probes, which include silicon nitride nanophotonic waveguides and grating emitters. The customizability of 3D printing enables a unique geometry of microfluidics that conforms to the shape of each neural probe, enabling integration of microfluidics with a variety of existing neural probes while avoiding the complexities of monolithic microfluidics integration. We demonstrate the photonic and fluidic functionalities of the neural probes via fluorescein injection in agarose gel and photoloysis of caged fluorescein in solution and in fixed brain tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Mu
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fu-Der Chen
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ka My Dang
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
- Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael G. K. Brunk
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
- Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
- Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hannes Wahn
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
| | | | - Peisheng Ding
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Xianshu Luo
- Advanced Micro Foundry Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hongyao Chua
- Advanced Micro Foundry Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guo-Qiang Lo
- Advanced Micro Foundry Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joyce K. S. Poon
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wesley D. Sacher
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
- Max Planck-University of Toronto Centre for Neural Science and Technology, Toronto, ON, Canada
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5
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Models using native tracheobronchial mucus in the context of pulmonary drug delivery research: Composition, structure and barrier properties. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 183:114141. [PMID: 35149123 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Mucus covers all wet epithelia and acts as a protective barrier. In the airways of the lungs, the viscoelastic mucus meshwork entraps and clears inhaled materials and efficiently removes them by mucociliary escalation. In addition to physical and chemical interaction mechanisms, the role of macromolecular glycoproteins (mucins) and antimicrobial constituents in innate immune defense are receiving increasing attention. Collectively, mucus displays a major barrier for inhaled aerosols, also including therapeutics. This review discusses the origin and composition of tracheobronchial mucus in relation to its (barrier) function, as well as some pathophysiological changes in the context of pulmonary diseases. Mucus models that contemplate key features such as elastic-dominant rheology, composition, filtering mechanisms and microbial interactions are critically reviewed in the context of health and disease considering different collection methods of native human pulmonary mucus. Finally, the prerequisites towards a standardization of mucus models in a regulatory context and their role in drug delivery research are addressed.
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6
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Schuster BS, Regy RM, Dolan EM, Kanchi Ranganath A, Jovic N, Khare SD, Shi Z, Mittal J. Biomolecular Condensates: Sequence Determinants of Phase Separation, Microstructural Organization, Enzymatic Activity, and Material Properties. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:3441-3451. [PMID: 33661634 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c11606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This perspective article highlights recent progress and emerging challenges in understanding the formation and function of membraneless organelles (MLOs). A long-term goal in the MLO field is to identify the sequence-encoded rules that dictate the formation of compositionally controlled biomolecular condensates, which cells utilize to perform a wide variety of functions. The molecular organization of the different components within a condensate can vary significantly, ranging from a homogeneous mixture to core-shell droplet structures. We provide many examples to highlight the richness of the observed behavior and potential research directions for improving our mechanistic understanding. The tunable environment within condensates can, in principle, alter enzymatic activity significantly. We examine recent examples where this was demonstrated, including applications in synthetic biology. An important question about MLOs is the role of liquid-like material properties in biological function. We discuss the need for improved quantitative characterization tools and the development of sequence-structure-dynamics relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Schuster
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Roshan Mammen Regy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Elliott M Dolan
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States.,Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Aishwarya Kanchi Ranganath
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Nina Jovic
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Sagar D Khare
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States.,Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Zheng Shi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Jeetain Mittal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
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7
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Su W, Yin J, Wang R, Shi M, Liu P, Qin Z, Xing R, Jiao T. Self-assembled natural biomacromolecular fluorescent hydrogels with tunable red edge effects. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.125993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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8
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Meziu E, Koch M, Fleddermann J, Schwarzkopf K, Schneider M, Kraegeloh A. Visualization of the structure of native human pulmonary mucus. Int J Pharm 2021; 597:120238. [PMID: 33540010 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Human respiratory mucus lining the airway epithelium forms a challenging barrier to inhalation therapeutics. Therefore, structural elucidation of hydrated mucus is essential for an efficient drug delivery development. The structure of mucus has been primarily investigated by conventional electron microscopy techniques, which operate under vacuum conditions and require sample preparation steps that might alter the structure of mucus. In this study we investigated the impact of dehydration on mucus and analyzed the structure of mucus in its hydrated state. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) analysis of mucus showed, that during the process of sublimation, non-porous structure of mucus is transformed into a porous network. Similarly, images acquired by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), revealed a non-porous structure of hydrated mucus, while further observation at decreasing pressure demonstrated the strong influence of dehydration on mucus structure. We could successfully visualize the structural organization of the major gel forming mucin MUC5B in its hydrated state by employing stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, which allowed resolving the nano-scale patterns of mucin macromolecules within the essentially pore-free mucus structure. The general structural organization of mucus components was addressed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), which revealed the heterogeneous and composite structure of mucus. These results provide a novel view on the native structure of mucus and will affect drug delivery development.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Meziu
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Biopharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Technology, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - M Koch
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - J Fleddermann
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - K Schwarzkopf
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Clinics Saarbrücken, Winterberg 1, 66119 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - M Schneider
- Department of Pharmacy, Biopharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Technology, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - A Kraegeloh
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
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9
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Su EJ, Jeeawoody S, Herr AE. Protein diffusion from microwells with contrasting hydrogel domains. APL Bioeng 2019; 3:026101. [PMID: 31069338 PMCID: PMC6481738 DOI: 10.1063/1.5078650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding and controlling molecular transport in hydrogel materials is important for biomedical tools, including engineered tissues and drug delivery, as well as life sciences tools for single-cell analysis. Here, we scrutinize the ability of microwells-micromolded in hydrogel slabs-to compartmentalize lysate from single cells. We consider both (i) microwells that are "open" to a large fluid (i.e., liquid) reservoir and (ii) microwells that are "closed," having been capped with either a slab of high-density polyacrylamide gel or an impermeable glass slide. We use numerical modeling to gain insight into the sensitivity of time-dependent protein concentration distributions on hydrogel partition and protein diffusion coefficients and open and closed microwell configurations. We are primarily concerned with diffusion-driven protein loss from the microwell cavity. Even for closed microwells, confocal fluorescence microscopy reports that a fluid (i.e., liquid) film forms between the hydrogel slabs (median thickness of 1.7 μm). Proteins diffuse from the microwells and into the fluid (i.e., liquid) layer, yet concentration distributions are sensitive to the lid layer partition coefficients and the protein diffusion coefficient. The application of a glass lid or a dense hydrogel retains protein in the microwell, increasing the protein solute concentration in the microwell by ∼7-fold for the first 15 s. Using triggered release of Protein G from microparticles, we validate our simulations by characterizing protein diffusion in a microwell capped with a high-density polyacrylamide gel lid (p > 0.05, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test). Here, we establish and validate a numerical model useful for understanding protein transport in and losses from a hydrogel microwell across a range of boundary conditions.
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10
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Chen Y, Sun P, Zhang Y, Ye Y. Fluorescence anisotropy analysis of comb-type grafted poly( N,N-diethylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid)-g-poly( N,N-diethylacrylamide) microgels labeled by acenaphthylene. J Appl Polym Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/app.46742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y. Chen
- Chongqing University of Science and Technology; Chongqing 400050 People's Republic of China
| | - P. Sun
- Chongqing University of Science and Technology; Chongqing 400050 People's Republic of China
| | - Y. Zhang
- Chongqing University of Science and Technology; Chongqing 400050 People's Republic of China
| | - Y. Ye
- Chongqing University of Science and Technology; Chongqing 400050 People's Republic of China
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11
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Abstract
We review what is currently understood about how the structure of the primary solid component of mucus, the glycoprotein mucin, gives rise to the mechanical and biochemical properties of mucus that are required for it to perform its diverse physiological roles. Macroscale processes such as lubrication require mucus of a certain stiffness and spinnability, which are set by structural features of the mucin network, including the identity and density of cross-links and the degree of glycosylation. At the microscale, these same features affect the mechanical environment experienced by small particles and play a crucial role in establishing an interaction-based filter. Finally, mucin glycans are critical for regulating microbial interactions, serving as receptor binding sites for adhesion, as nutrient sources, and as environmental signals. We conclude by discussing how these structural principles can be used in the design of synthetic mucin-mimetic materials and provide suggestions for directions of future work in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Wagner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - K M Wheeler
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
- Microbiology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - K Ribbeck
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
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12
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Schuster BS, Reed EH, Parthasarathy R, Jahnke CN, Caldwell RM, Bermudez JG, Ramage H, Good MC, Hammer DA. Controllable protein phase separation and modular recruitment to form responsive membraneless organelles. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2985. [PMID: 30061688 PMCID: PMC6065366 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05403-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Many intrinsically disordered proteins self-assemble into liquid droplets that function as membraneless organelles. Because of their biological importance and ability to colocalize molecules at high concentrations, these protein compartments represent a compelling target for bio-inspired materials engineering. Here we manipulated the intrinsically disordered, arginine/glycine-rich RGG domain from the P granule protein LAF-1 to generate synthetic membraneless organelles with controllable phase separation and cargo recruitment. First, we demonstrate enzymatically triggered droplet assembly and disassembly, whereby miscibility and RGG domain valency are tuned by protease activity. Second, we control droplet composition by selectively recruiting cargo molecules via protein interaction motifs. We then demonstrate protease-triggered controlled release of cargo. Droplet assembly and cargo recruitment are robust, occurring in cytoplasmic extracts and in living mammalian cells. This versatile system, which generates dynamic membraneless organelles with programmable phase behavior and composition, has important applications for compartmentalizing collections of proteins in engineered cells and protocells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Schuster
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 210 S. 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ellen H Reed
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 220 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ranganath Parthasarathy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 210 S. 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Craig N Jahnke
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 220 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Reese M Caldwell
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Jessica G Bermudez
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 210 S. 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Holly Ramage
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, 3610 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Matthew C Good
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 210 S. 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. .,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Daniel A Hammer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 210 S. 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. .,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 220 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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