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Skowyra ML, Feng P, Rapoport TA. Towards solving the mystery of peroxisomal matrix protein import. Trends Cell Biol 2024; 34:388-405. [PMID: 37743160 PMCID: PMC10957506 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Peroxisomes are vital metabolic organelles that import their lumenal (matrix) enzymes from the cytosol using mobile receptors. Surprisingly, the receptors can even import folded proteins, but the underlying mechanism has been a mystery. Recent results reveal how import receptors shuttle cargo into peroxisomes. The cargo-bound receptors move from the cytosol across the peroxisomal membrane completely into the matrix by a mechanism that resembles transport through the nuclear pore. The receptors then return to the cytosol through a separate retrotranslocation channel, leaving the cargo inside the organelle. This cycle concentrates imported proteins within peroxisomes, and the energy for cargo import is supplied by receptor export. Peroxisomal protein import thus fundamentally differs from other previously known mechanisms for translocating proteins across membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Skowyra
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peiqiang Feng
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tom A Rapoport
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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2
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Klughammer N, Barth A, Dekker M, Fragasso A, Onck PR, Dekker C. Diameter dependence of transport through nuclear pore complex mimics studied using optical nanopores. eLife 2024; 12:RP87174. [PMID: 38376900 PMCID: PMC10942607 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87174] [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] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The nuclear pore complex (NPC) regulates the selective transport of large biomolecules through the nuclear envelope. As a model system for nuclear transport, we construct NPC mimics by functionalizing the pore walls of freestanding palladium zero-mode waveguides with the FG-nucleoporin Nsp1. This approach enables the measurement of single-molecule translocations through individual pores using optical detection. We probe the selectivity of Nsp1-coated pores by quantitatively comparing the translocation rates of the nuclear transport receptor Kap95 to the inert probe BSA over a wide range of pore sizes from 35 nm to 160 nm. Pores below 55 ± 5 nm show significant selectivity that gradually decreases for larger pores. This finding is corroborated by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of the Nsp1 mesh within the pore, which suggest that leakage of BSA occurs by diffusion through transient openings within the dynamic mesh. Furthermore, we experimentally observe a modulation of the BSA permeation when varying the concentration of Kap95. The results demonstrate the potential of single-molecule fluorescence measurements on biomimetic NPCs to elucidate the principles of nuclear transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Klughammer
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of TechnologyDelftNetherlands
| | - Anders Barth
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of TechnologyDelftNetherlands
| | - Maurice Dekker
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of GroningenGroningenNetherlands
| | - Alessio Fragasso
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of TechnologyDelftNetherlands
| | - Patrick R Onck
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of GroningenGroningenNetherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of TechnologyDelftNetherlands
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3
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Dickson CF, Hertel S, Tuckwell AJ, Li N, Ruan J, Al-Izzi SC, Ariotti N, Sierecki E, Gambin Y, Morris RG, Towers GJ, Böcking T, Jacques DA. The HIV capsid mimics karyopherin engagement of FG-nucleoporins. Nature 2024; 626:836-842. [PMID: 38267582 PMCID: PMC10881392 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06969-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
HIV can infect non-dividing cells because the viral capsid can overcome the selective barrier of the nuclear pore complex and deliver the genome directly into the nucleus1,2. Remarkably, the intact HIV capsid is more than 1,000 times larger than the size limit prescribed by the diffusion barrier of the nuclear pore3. This barrier in the central channel of the nuclear pore is composed of intrinsically disordered nucleoporin domains enriched in phenylalanine-glycine (FG) dipeptides. Through multivalent FG interactions, cellular karyopherins and their bound cargoes solubilize in this phase to drive nucleocytoplasmic transport4. By performing an in vitro dissection of the nuclear pore complex, we show that a pocket on the surface of the HIV capsid similarly interacts with FG motifs from multiple nucleoporins and that this interaction licences capsids to penetrate FG-nucleoporin condensates. This karyopherin mimicry model addresses a key conceptual challenge for the role of the HIV capsid in nuclear entry and offers an explanation as to how an exogenous entity much larger than any known cellular cargo may be able to non-destructively breach the nuclear envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- C F Dickson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S Hertel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A J Tuckwell
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - N Li
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Ruan
- Electron Microscope Unit, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S C Al-Izzi
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - N Ariotti
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - E Sierecki
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Y Gambin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R G Morris
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - G J Towers
- Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - T Böcking
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - D A Jacques
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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4
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Fu L, Weiskopf EN, Akkermans O, Swanson NA, Cheng S, Schwartz TU, Görlich D. HIV-1 capsids enter the FG phase of nuclear pores like a transport receptor. Nature 2024; 626:843-851. [PMID: 38267583 PMCID: PMC10881386 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06966-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
HIV-1 infection requires nuclear entry of the viral genome. Previous evidence suggests that this entry proceeds through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), with the 120 × 60 nm capsid squeezing through an approximately 60-nm-wide central channel1 and crossing the permeability barrier of the NPC. This barrier can be described as an FG phase2 that is assembled from cohesively interacting phenylalanine-glycine (FG) repeats3 and is selectively permeable to cargo captured by nuclear transport receptors (NTRs). Here we show that HIV-1 capsid assemblies can target NPCs efficiently in an NTR-independent manner and bind directly to several types of FG repeats, including barrier-forming cohesive repeats. Like NTRs, the capsid readily partitions into an in vitro assembled cohesive FG phase that can serve as an NPC mimic and excludes much smaller inert probes such as mCherry. Indeed, entry of the capsid protein into such an FG phase is greatly enhanced by capsid assembly, which also allows the encapsulated clients to enter. Thus, our data indicate that the HIV-1 capsid behaves like an NTR, with its interior serving as a cargo container. Because capsid-coating with trans-acting NTRs would increase the diameter by 10 nm or more, we suggest that such a 'self-translocating' capsid undermines the size restrictions imposed by the NPC scaffold, thereby bypassing an otherwise effective barrier to viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liran Fu
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Erika N Weiskopf
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Onno Akkermans
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas A Swanson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shiya Cheng
- Department of Meiosis, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas U Schwartz
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Dirk Görlich
- Department of Cellular Logistics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
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5
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Yang Y, Guo L, Chen L, Gong B, Jia D, Sun Q. Nuclear transport proteins: structure, function, and disease relevance. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:425. [PMID: 37945593 PMCID: PMC10636164 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01649-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper subcellular localization is crucial for the functioning of biomacromolecules, including proteins and RNAs. Nuclear transport is a fundamental cellular process that regulates the localization of many macromolecules within the nuclear or cytoplasmic compartments. In humans, approximately 60 proteins are involved in nuclear transport, including nucleoporins that form membrane-embedded nuclear pore complexes, karyopherins that transport cargoes through these complexes, and Ran system proteins that ensure directed and rapid transport. Many of these nuclear transport proteins play additional and essential roles in mitosis, biomolecular condensation, and gene transcription. Dysregulation of nuclear transport is linked to major human diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and viral infections. Selinexor (KPT-330), an inhibitor targeting the nuclear export factor XPO1 (also known as CRM1), was approved in 2019 to treat two types of blood cancers, and dozens of clinical trials of are ongoing. This review summarizes approximately three decades of research data in this field but focuses on the structure and function of individual nuclear transport proteins from recent studies, providing a cutting-edge and holistic view on the role of nuclear transport proteins in health and disease. In-depth knowledge of this rapidly evolving field has the potential to bring new insights into fundamental biology, pathogenic mechanisms, and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lu Guo
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Gong
- The Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study of Sichuan Province and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Da Jia
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Qingxiang Sun
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Centre of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China.
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6
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Guo G, Wang X, Zhang Y, Li T. Sequence variations of phase-separating proteins and resources for studying biomolecular condensates. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2023; 55:1119-1132. [PMID: 37464880 PMCID: PMC10423696 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2023131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Phase separation (PS) is an important mechanism underlying the formation of biomolecular condensates. Physiological condensates are associated with numerous biological processes, such as transcription, immunity, signaling, and synaptic transmission. Changes in particular amino acids or segments can disturb the protein's phase behavior and interactions with other biomolecules in condensates. It is thus presumed that variations in the phase-separating-prone domains can significantly impact the properties and functions of condensates. The dysfunction of condensates contributes to a number of pathological processes. Pharmacological perturbation of these condensates is proposed as a promising way to restore physiological states. In this review, we characterize the variations observed in PS proteins that lead to aberrant biomolecular compartmentalization. We also showcase recent advancements in bioinformatics of membraneless organelles (MLOs), focusing on available databases useful for screening PS proteins and describing endogenous condensates, guiding researchers to seek the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of biomolecular condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaigai Guo
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191China
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsSchool of Basic Medical SciencesPeking University Health Science CenterBeijing100191China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroscienceMinistry of Education/National Health Commission of ChinaPeking UniversityBeijing100191China
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7
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Thomas L, Taleb Ismail B, Askjaer P, Seydoux G. Nucleoporin foci are stress-sensitive condensates dispensable for C. elegans nuclear pore assembly. EMBO J 2023:e112987. [PMID: 37254647 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleoporins (Nups) assemble nuclear pores that form the permeability barrier between nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. Nucleoporins also localize in cytoplasmic foci proposed to function as pore pre-assembly intermediates. Here, we characterize the composition and incidence of cytoplasmic Nup foci in an intact animal, C. elegans. We find that, in young non-stressed animals, Nup foci only appear in developing sperm, oocytes and embryos, tissues that express high levels of nucleoporins. The foci are condensates of highly cohesive FG repeat-containing nucleoporins (FG-Nups), which are maintained near their solubility limit in the cytoplasm by posttranslational modifications and chaperone activity. Only a minor fraction of FG-Nup molecules concentrate in Nup foci, which dissolve during M phase and are dispensable for nuclear pore assembly. Nucleoporin condensation is enhanced by stress and advancing age, and overexpression of a single FG-Nup in post-mitotic neurons is sufficient to induce ectopic condensation and organismal paralysis. We speculate that Nup foci are non-essential and potentially toxic condensates whose assembly is actively suppressed in healthy cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Thomas
- HHMI and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Basma Taleb Ismail
- HHMI and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Askjaer
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), CSIC/JA/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Geraldine Seydoux
- HHMI and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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8
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Yu M, Heidari M, Mikhaleva S, Tan PS, Mingu S, Ruan H, Reinkemeier CD, Obarska-Kosinska A, Siggel M, Beck M, Hummer G, Lemke EA. Visualizing the disordered nuclear transport machinery in situ. Nature 2023; 617:162-169. [PMID: 37100914 PMCID: PMC10156602 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05990-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The approximately 120 MDa mammalian nuclear pore complex (NPC) acts as a gatekeeper for the transport between the nucleus and cytosol1. The central channel of the NPC is filled with hundreds of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) called FG-nucleoporins (FG-NUPs)2,3. Although the structure of the NPC scaffold has been resolved in remarkable detail, the actual transport machinery built up by FG-NUPs-about 50 MDa-is depicted as an approximately 60-nm hole in even highly resolved tomograms and/or structures computed with artificial intelligence4-11. Here we directly probed conformations of the vital FG-NUP98 inside NPCs in live cells and in permeabilized cells with an intact transport machinery by using a synthetic biology-enabled site-specific small-molecule labelling approach paired with highly time-resolved fluorescence microscopy. Single permeabilized cell measurements of the distance distribution of FG-NUP98 segments combined with coarse-grained molecular simulations of the NPC allowed us to map the uncharted molecular environment inside the nanosized transport channel. We determined that the channel provides-in the terminology of the Flory polymer theory12-a 'good solvent' environment. This enables the FG domain to adopt expanded conformations and thus control transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm. With more than 30% of the proteome being formed from IDPs, our study opens a window into resolving disorder-function relationships of IDPs in situ, which are important in various processes, such as cellular signalling, phase separation, ageing and viral entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Yu
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maziar Heidari
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sofya Mikhaleva
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Piau Siong Tan
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sara Mingu
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hao Ruan
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christopher D Reinkemeier
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Marc Siggel
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Beck
- Department of Molecular Sociology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Edward A Lemke
- Biocenter, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
- Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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9
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A simple thermodynamic description of phase separation of Nup98 FG domains. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6172. [PMID: 36257947 PMCID: PMC9579204 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33697-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The permeability barrier of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) controls nucleocytoplasmic transport. It retains inert macromolecules but allows facilitated passage of nuclear transport receptors that shuttle cargoes into or out of nuclei. The barrier can be described as a condensed phase assembled from cohesive FG repeat domains, including foremost the charge-depleted FG domain of Nup98. We found that Nup98 FG domains show an LCST-type phase separation, and we provide comprehensive and orthogonal experimental datasets for a quantitative description of this behaviour. A derived thermodynamic model correlates saturation concentration with repeat number, temperature, and ionic strength. It allows estimating the enthalpy, entropy, and ΔG (0.2 kJ/mol, 0.1 kB·T) contributions per repeat to phase separation and inter-repeat cohesion. While changing the cohesion strength strongly impacts the strictness of barrier, these numbers provide boundary conditions for in-depth modelling not only of barrier assembly but also of NPC passage.
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10
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Function of the Nuclear Transport Machinery in Maintaining the Distinctive Compositions of the Nucleus and Cytoplasm. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052578. [PMID: 35269721 PMCID: PMC8910404 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the separation of transcription and translation, mediated by the nuclear envelope, is the defining characteristic of Eukaryotes, the barrier between the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments needs to be semipermeable to enable material to be moved between them. Moreover, each compartment needs to have a distinctive complement of macromolecules to mediate specific functions and so movement between them needs to be controlled. This is achieved through the selective active transport of macromolecules through the nuclear pores that stud the nuclear envelope, and which serve as a conduit between these compartments. Nuclear pores are huge cylindrical macromolecular assemblies and are constructed from the order of 30 different proteins called nucleoporins. Nuclear pores have a central transport channel that is filled with a dense network of natively unfolded portions of many different nuclear pore proteins (nucleoporins or nups). This network generates a barrier that impedes, but does not entirely prevent, the diffusion of many macromolecules through the pores. The rapid movement of a range of proteins and RNAs through the pores is mediated by a range of transport factors that bind their cargo in one compartment and release it in the other. However, although as their size increases the diffusion of macromolecules through nuclear pores is progressively impaired, additional mechanisms, including the binding of some macromolecules to immobile components of each compartment and also the active removal of macromolecules from the inappropriate compartment, are needed to fully maintain the distinctive compositions of each compartment.
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11
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Michels JJ, Brzezinski M, Scheidt T, Lemke EA, Parekh SH. Role of Solvent Compatibility in the Phase Behavior of Binary Solutions of Weakly Associating Multivalent Polymers. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:349-364. [PMID: 34866377 PMCID: PMC8753604 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Condensate formation of biopolymer solutions, prominently those of various intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), is often driven by "sticky" interactions between associating residues, multivalently present along the polymer backbone. Using a ternary mean-field "stickers-and-spacers" model, we demonstrate that if sticker association is of the order of a few times the thermal energy, a delicate balance between specific binding and nonspecific polymer-solvent interactions gives rise to a particularly rich ternary phase behavior under physiological circumstances. For a generic system represented by a solution comprising multiassociative scaffold and client polymers, the difference in solvent compatibility between the polymers modulates the nature of isothermal liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) between associative and segregative. The calculations reveal regimes of dualistic phase behavior, where both types of LLPS occur within the same phase diagram, either associated with the presence of multiple miscibility gaps or a flip in the slope of the tie-lines belonging to a single coexistence region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper J. Michels
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Mateusz Brzezinski
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Tom Scheidt
- Institute
for Molecular Biology, Johannes Gutenberg
University, Ackermannweg
4, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Edward A. Lemke
- Institute
for Molecular Biology, Johannes Gutenberg
University, Ackermannweg
4, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sapun H. Parekh
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, The University
of Texas at Austin, 107
West Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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