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Bastida A, Zúñiga J, Fogolari F, Soler MA. Statistical accuracy of molecular dynamics-based methods for sampling conformational ensembles of disordered proteins. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024. [PMID: 39190324 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp02564d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
The characterization of the statistical ensemble of conformations of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) is a great challenge both from experimental and computational points of view. In this respect, a number of protocols have been developed using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to sample the huge conformational space of the molecule. In this work, we consider one of the best methods available, replica exchange solute tempering (REST), as a reference to compare the results obtained using this method with the results obtained using other methods, in terms of experimentally measurable quantities. Along with the methods assessed, we propose here a novel protocol called probabilistic MD chain growth (PMD-CG), which combines the flexible-meccano and hierarchical chain growth methods with the statistical data obtained from tripeptide MD trajectories as the starting point. The system chosen for testing is a 20-residue region from the C-terminal domain of the p53 tumor suppressor protein (p53-CTD). Our results show that PMD-CG provides an ensemble of conformations extremely quickly, after suitable computation of the conformational pool for all peptide triplets of the IDR sequence. The measurable quantities computed on the ensemble of conformations agree well with those based on the REST conformational ensemble.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Bastida
- Departamento de Química Física, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - José Zúñiga
- Departamento de Química Física, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Federico Fogolari
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche, Informatiche e Fisiche, Università di Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
| | - Miguel A Soler
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche, Informatiche e Fisiche, Università di Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
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2
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Bass J. Interorgan rhythmicity as a feature of healthful metabolism. Cell Metab 2024; 36:655-669. [PMID: 38335957 PMCID: PMC10990795 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The finding that animals with circadian gene mutations exhibit diet-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome with hypoinsulinemia revealed a distinct role for the clock in the brain and peripheral tissues. Obesogenic diets disrupt rhythmic sleep/wake patterns, feeding behavior, and transcriptional networks, showing that metabolic signals reciprocally control the clock. Providing access to high-fat diet only during the sleep phase (light period) in mice accelerates weight gain, whereas isocaloric time-restricted feeding during the active period enhances energy expenditure due to circadian induction of adipose thermogenesis. This perspective focuses on advances and unanswered questions in understanding the interorgan circadian control of healthful metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Bass
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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3
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Liu XL, Duan Z, Yu M, Liu X. Epigenetic control of circadian clocks by environmental signals. Trends Cell Biol 2024:S0962-8924(24)00028-X. [PMID: 38423855 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2024.02.005] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Circadian clocks have evolved to enable organisms to respond to daily environmental changes. Maintaining a robust circadian rhythm under various perturbations and stresses is essential for the fitness of an organism. In the core circadian oscillator conserved in eukaryotes (from fungi to mammals), a negative feedback loop based on both transcription and translation drives circadian rhythms. The expression of circadian clock genes depends both on the binding of transcription activators at the promoter and on the chromatin state of the clock genes, and epigenetic modifications of chromatin are crucial for transcriptional regulation of circadian clock genes. Herein we review current knowledge of epigenetic regulation of circadian clock mechanisms and discuss how environmental cues can control clock gene expression by affecting chromatin states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Lan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zeyu Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Muqun Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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4
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Zhang H, Zhou Z, Guo J. The Function, Regulation, and Mechanism of Protein Turnover in Circadian Systems in Neurospora and Other Species. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2574. [PMID: 38473819 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Circadian clocks drive a large array of physiological and behavioral activities. At the molecular level, circadian clocks are composed of positive and negative elements that form core oscillators generating the basic circadian rhythms. Over the course of the circadian period, circadian negative proteins undergo progressive hyperphosphorylation and eventually degrade, and their stability is finely controlled by complex post-translational pathways, including protein modifications, genetic codon preference, protein-protein interactions, chaperon-dependent conformation maintenance, degradation, etc. The effects of phosphorylation on the stability of circadian clock proteins are crucial for precisely determining protein function and turnover, and it has been proposed that the phosphorylation of core circadian clock proteins is tightly correlated with the circadian period. Nonetheless, recent studies have challenged this view. In this review, we summarize the research progress regarding the function, regulation, and mechanism of protein stability in the circadian clock systems of multiple model organisms, with an emphasis on Neurospora crassa, in which circadian mechanisms have been extensively investigated. Elucidation of the highly complex and dynamic regulation of protein stability in circadian clock networks would greatly benefit the integrated understanding of the function, regulation, and mechanism of protein stability in a wide spectrum of other biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Zengxuan Zhou
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Jinhu Guo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
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5
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Stortz M, Presman DM, Levi V. Transcriptional condensates: a blessing or a curse for gene regulation? Commun Biol 2024; 7:187. [PMID: 38365945 PMCID: PMC10873363 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05892-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Whether phase-separation is involved in the organization of the transcriptional machinery and if it aids or inhibits the transcriptional process is a matter of intense debate. In this Mini Review, we will cover the current knowledge regarding the role of transcriptional condensates on gene expression regulation. We will summarize the latest discoveries on the relationship between condensate formation, genome organization, and transcriptional activity, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the experimental approaches used to interrogate these aspects of transcription in living cells. Finally, we will discuss the challenges for future research.
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Grants
- PICT 2020-00818 Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina)
- PICT-2018-1921 Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina)
- PICT 2019-0397 Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina | Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (National Agency for Science and Technology, Argentina)
- 20020190100101BA University of Buenos Aires | Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica de la Universidad de Buenos Aires)
- 2022-11220210100212CO Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (National Scientific and Technical Research Council)
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Stortz
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Diego M Presman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina.
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina.
| | - Valeria Levi
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina.
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina.
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6
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Sutton LB, Hurley JM. Circadian regulation of physiology by disordered protein-protein interactions. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 84:102743. [PMID: 38091925 PMCID: PMC10922814 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Cellular circadian clocks, the molecular timers that coordinate physiology to the day/night cycle across the domains of life, are widely regulated by disordereddisordered protein interactions. Here, we review the disordered-disordered protein interactions in the circadian clock of Neurospora crassa (N. crassa), a filamentous fungus which is a model organism for clocks in higher eukaryotes. We focus on what is known about the interactions between the intrinsically disordered core negative arm protein FREQUENCEY (FRQ), the other proteins comprising the transcription-translation feedback loop, and the proteins that control output. We compare and contrast this model with other models of eukaryotic clocks, illustrating that protein disorder is a conserved and essential mechanism in the maintenance of circadian clock across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas B Sutton
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St. Troy, NY, 12180, USA; Biological Sciences Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St. Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Jennifer M Hurley
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St. Troy, NY, 12180, USA; Biological Sciences Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St. Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
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7
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Xie P, Xie X, Ye C, Dean KM, Laothamatas I, Taufique SKT, Takahashi J, Yamazaki S, Xu Y, Liu Y. Mammalian circadian clock proteins form dynamic interacting microbodies distinct from phase separation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2318274120. [PMID: 38127982 PMCID: PMC10756265 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318274120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) underlies diverse biological processes. Because most LLPS studies were performed in vitro using recombinant proteins or in cells that overexpress protein, the physiological relevance of LLPS for endogenous protein is often unclear. PERIOD, the intrinsically disordered domain-rich proteins, are central mammalian circadian clock components and interact with other clock proteins in the core circadian negative feedback loop. Different core clock proteins were previously shown to form large complexes. Circadian clock studies often rely on experiments that overexpress clock proteins. Here, we show that when Per2 transgene was stably expressed in cells, PER2 protein formed nuclear phosphorylation-dependent slow-moving LLPS condensates that recruited other clock proteins. Super-resolution microscopy of endogenous PER2, however, revealed formation of circadian-controlled, rapidly diffusing nuclear microbodies that were resistant to protein concentration changes, hexanediol treatment, and loss of phosphorylation, indicating that they are distinct from the LLPS condensates caused by protein overexpression. Surprisingly, only a small fraction of endogenous PER2 microbodies transiently interact with endogenous BMAL1 and CRY1, a conclusion that was confirmed in cells and in mice tissues, suggesting an enzyme-like mechanism in the circadian negative feedback process. Together, these results demonstrate that the dynamic interactions of core clock proteins are a key feature of mammalian circadian clock mechanism and the importance of examining endogenous proteins in LLPS and circadian clock studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pancheng Xie
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu215123, China
| | - Xiaowen Xie
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Congrong Ye
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Kevin M. Dean
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics and Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Isara Laothamatas
- HHMI, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-9111
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-9111
| | - S. K. Tahajjul Taufique
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-9111
- Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-9111
| | - Joseph Takahashi
- HHMI, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-9111
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-9111
| | - Shin Yamazaki
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-9111
- Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390-9111
| | - Ying Xu
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu215123, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
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8
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Xie P, Xie X, Ye C, Dean KM, Laothamatas I, Taufique SKT, Takahashi J, Yamazaki S, Xu Y, Liu Y. Mammalian circadian clock proteins form dynamic interacting microbodies distinct from phase separation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.19.563153. [PMID: 37961341 PMCID: PMC10634710 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.19.563153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) underlies diverse biological processes. Because most LLPS studies were performed in vitro or in cells that overexpress protein, the physiological relevance of LLPS is unclear. PERIOD proteins are central mammalian circadian clock components and interact with other clock proteins in the core circadian negative feedback loop. Different core clock proteins were previously shown to form large complexes. Here we show that when transgene was stably expressed, PER2 formed nuclear phosphorylation-dependent LLPS condensates that recruited other clock proteins. Super-resolution microscopy of endogenous PER2, however, revealed formation of circadian-controlled, rapidly diffusing microbodies that were resistant to protein concentration changes, hexanediol treatment, and loss of phosphorylation, indicating that they are distinct from the LLPS condensates caused by overexpression. Surprisingly, only a small fraction of endogenous PER2 microbodies transiently interact with endogenous BMAL1 and CRY1, a conclusion that was confirmed in cells and in mice tissues, suggesting an enzyme-like mechanism in the circadian negative feedback process. Together, these results demonstrate that the dynamic interactions of core clock proteins is a key feature of mammalian circadian clock mechanism and the importance of examining endogenous proteins in LLPS and circadian studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pancheng Xie
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University; Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Xiaowen Xie
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Congrong Ye
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kevin M. Dean
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics and Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Isara Laothamatas
- Department of Neuroscience and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, 75390-9111, USA
| | - S K Tahajjul Taufique
- Department of Neuroscience and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, 75390-9111, USA
| | - Joseph Takahashi
- Department of Neuroscience and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, 75390-9111, USA
| | - Shin Yamazaki
- Department of Neuroscience and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, 75390-9111, USA
| | - Ying Xu
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University; Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Schibler U. How the circadian nuclear orphan receptor REV-ERBα represses transcription: Temporal and spatial phase separation combined. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3399-3401. [PMID: 37802021 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
In this issue of Molecular Cell, Zhu et al.1 demonstrate that REV-ERBα and its co-repressor NCOR1 are assembled into daytime-dependent liquid droplets that constitute hubs in which the transcription of multiple REV-ERBα target genes is simultaneously repressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ueli Schibler
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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