1
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Dai Y, Zhou Z, Yu W, Ma Y, Kim K, Rivera N, Mohammed J, Lantelme E, Hsu-Kim H, Chilkoti A, You L. Biomolecular condensates regulate cellular electrochemical equilibria. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00909-7. [PMID: 39260373 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.08.018] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Control of the electrochemical environment in living cells is typically attributed to ion channels. Here, we show that the formation of biomolecular condensates can modulate the electrochemical environment in bacterial cells, which affects cellular processes globally. Condensate formation generates an electric potential gradient, which directly affects the electrochemical properties of a cell, including cytoplasmic pH and membrane potential. Condensate formation also amplifies cell-cell variability of their electrochemical properties due to passive environmental effect. The modulation of the electrochemical equilibria further controls cell-environment interactions, thus directly influencing bacterial survival under antibiotic stress. The condensate-mediated shift in intracellular electrochemical equilibria drives a change of the global gene expression profile. Our work reveals the biochemical functions of condensates, which extend beyond the functions of biomolecules driving and participating in condensate formation, and uncovers a role of condensates in regulating global cellular physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Zhengqing Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Wen Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Yuefeng Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Kyeri Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Nelson Rivera
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Javid Mohammed
- Department of Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Erica Lantelme
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Heileen Hsu-Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA; Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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2
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Boyd-Shiwarski CR, Shiwarski DJ, Subramanya AR. A New Phase for WNK Kinase Signaling Complexes as Biomolecular Condensates. Physiology (Bethesda) 2024; 39:0. [PMID: 38624245 PMCID: PMC11460533 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00013.2024] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to highlight transformative advances that have been made in the field of biomolecular condensates, with special emphasis on condensate material properties, physiology, and kinases, using the With-No-Lysine (WNK) kinases as a prototypical example. To convey how WNK kinases illustrate important concepts for biomolecular condensates, we start with a brief history, focus on defining features of biomolecular condensates, and delve into some examples of how condensates are implicated in cellular physiology (and pathophysiology). We then highlight how WNK kinases, through the action of "WNK droplets" that ubiquitously regulate intracellular volume and kidney-specific "WNK bodies" that are implicated in distal tubule salt reabsorption and potassium homeostasis, exemplify many of the defining features of condensates. Finally, this review addresses the controversies within this emerging field and questions to address.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cary R Boyd-Shiwarski
- Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Pittsburgh Heart, Lung, Blood Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Daniel J Shiwarski
- Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Arohan R Subramanya
- Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Pittsburgh Heart, Lung, Blood Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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3
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Moreira S, Chyou TY, Wade J, Brown C. Diversification of the Rho transcription termination factor in bacteria. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:8979-8997. [PMID: 38966992 PMCID: PMC11347177 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Correct termination of transcription is essential for gene expression. In bacteria, factor-dependent termination relies on the Rho factor, that classically has three conserved domains. Some bacteria also have a functional insertion region. However, the variation in Rho structure among bacteria has not been analyzed in detail. This study determines the distribution, sequence conservation, and predicted features of Rho factors with diverse domain architectures by analyzing 2730 bacterial genomes. About half (49.8%) of the species analyzed have the typical Escherichia coli like Rho while most of the other species (39.8%) have diverse, atypical forms of Rho. Besides conservation of the main domains, we describe a duplicated RNA-binding domain present in specific species and novel variations in the bicyclomycin binding pocket. The additional regions observed in Rho proteins exhibit remarkable diversity. Commonly, however, they have exceptional amino acid compositions and are predicted to be intrinsically disordered, to undergo phase separation, or have prion-like behavior. Phase separation has recently been shown to play roles in Rho function and bacterial fitness during harsh conditions in one species and this study suggests a more widespread role. In conclusion, diverse atypical Rho factors are broadly distributed among bacteria, suggesting additional cellular roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia M Moreira
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago 9054, New Zealand
| | - Te-yuan Chyou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago 9054, New Zealand
| | - Joseph T Wade
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Chris M Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago 9054, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago 9054, New Zealand
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4
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Sasazawa M, Tomares DT, Childers WS, Saurabh S. Biomolecular condensates as stress sensors and modulators of bacterial signaling. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012413. [PMID: 39146259 PMCID: PMC11326607 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012413] [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: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes exhibit remarkable adaptability to environmental fluctuations. Signaling mechanisms, such as two-component systems and secondary messengers, have long been recognized as critical for sensing and responding to environmental cues. However, recent research has illuminated the potential of a physical adaptation mechanism in signaling-phase separation, which may represent a ubiquitous mechanism for compartmentalizing biochemistry within the cytoplasm in the context of bacteria that frequently lack membrane-bound organelles. This review considers the broader prospect that phase separation may play critical roles as rapid stress sensing and response mechanisms within pathogens. It is well established that weak multivalent interactions between disordered regions, coiled-coils, and other structured domains can form condensates via phase separation and be regulated by specific environmental parameters in some cases. The process of phase separation itself acts as a responsive sensor, influenced by changes in protein concentration, posttranslational modifications, temperature, salts, pH, and oxidative stresses. This environmentally triggered phase separation can, in turn, regulate the functions of recruited biomolecules, providing a rapid response to stressful conditions. As examples, we describe biochemical pathways organized by condensates that are essential for cell physiology and exhibit signaling features. These include proteins that organize and modify the chromosome (Dps, Hu, SSB), regulate the decay, and modification of RNA (RNase E, Hfq, Rho, RNA polymerase), those involved in signal transduction (PopZ, PodJ, and SpmX) and stress response (aggresomes and polyphosphate granules). We also summarize the potential of proteins within pathogens to function as condensates and the potential and challenges in targeting biomolecular condensates for next-generation antimicrobial therapeutics. Together, this review illuminates the emerging significance of biomolecular condensates in microbial signaling, stress responses, and regulation of cell physiology and provides a framework for microbiologists to consider the function of biomolecular condensates in microbial adaptation and response to diverse environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moeka Sasazawa
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Dylan T Tomares
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - W Seth Childers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Saumya Saurabh
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
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5
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Nandana V, Al-Husini N, Vaishnav A, Dilrangi KH, Schrader JM. Caulobacter crescentus RNase E condensation contributes to autoregulation and fitness. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:ar104. [PMID: 38865176 PMCID: PMC11321048 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-12-0493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
RNase E is the most common RNA decay nuclease in bacteria, setting the global mRNA decay rate and scaffolding formation of the RNA degradosome complex and BR-bodies. To properly set the global mRNA decay rate, RNase E from Escherichia coli and neighboring γ-proteobacteria were found to autoregulate RNase E levels via the decay of its mRNA's 5' untranslated region (UTR). While the 5' UTR is absent from other groups of bacteria in the Rfam database, we identified that the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus RNase E contains a similar 5' UTR structure that promotes RNase E autoregulation. In both bacteria, the C-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of RNase E is required for proper autoregulation to occur, and this IDR is also necessary and sufficient for RNase E to phase-separate, generating BR-bodies. Using in vitro purified RNase E, we find that the IDR's ability to promote phase separation correlates with enhanced 5' UTR cleavage, suggesting that phase separation of RNase E with the 5' UTR enhances autoregulation. Finally, using growth competition experiments, we find that a strain capable of autoregulation rapidly outcompetes a strain with a 5' UTR mutation that cannot autoregulate, suggesting autoregulation promotes optimal cellular fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidhyadhar Nandana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
| | - Nadra Al-Husini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
| | - Arti Vaishnav
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
| | | | - Jared M. Schrader
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
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6
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Chong TN, Shapiro L. Bacterial cell differentiation enables population level survival strategies. mBio 2024; 15:e0075824. [PMID: 38771034 PMCID: PMC11237816 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00758-24] [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] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Clonal reproduction of unicellular organisms ensures the stable inheritance of genetic information. However, this means of reproduction lacks an intrinsic basis for genetic variation, other than spontaneous mutation and horizontal gene transfer. To make up for this lack of genetic variation, many unicellular organisms undergo the process of cell differentiation to achieve phenotypic heterogeneity within isogenic populations. Cell differentiation is either an inducible or obligate program. Induced cell differentiation can occur as a response to a stimulus, such as starvation or host cell invasion, or it can be a stochastic process. In contrast, obligate cell differentiation is hardwired into the organism's life cycle. Whether induced or obligate, bacterial cell differentiation requires the activation of a signal transduction pathway that initiates a global change in gene expression and ultimately results in a morphological change. While cell differentiation is considered a hallmark in the development of multicellular organisms, many unicellular bacteria utilize this process to implement survival strategies. In this review, we describe well-characterized cell differentiation programs to highlight three main survival strategies used by bacteria capable of differentiation: (i) environmental adaptation, (ii) division of labor, and (iii) bet-hedging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha N Chong
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lucy Shapiro
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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7
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Hoang Y, Azaldegui CA, Dow RE, Ghalmi M, Biteen JS, Vecchiarelli AG. An experimental framework to assess biomolecular condensates in bacteria. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3222. [PMID: 38622124 PMCID: PMC11018776 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47330-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
High-resolution imaging of biomolecular condensates in living cells is essential for correlating their properties to those observed through in vitro assays. However, such experiments are limited in bacteria due to resolution limitations. Here we present an experimental framework that probes the formation, reversibility, and dynamics of condensate-forming proteins in Escherichia coli as a means to determine the nature of biomolecular condensates in bacteria. We demonstrate that condensates form after passing a threshold concentration, maintain a soluble fraction, dissolve upon shifts in temperature and concentration, and exhibit dynamics consistent with internal rearrangement and exchange between condensed and soluble fractions. We also discover that an established marker for insoluble protein aggregates, IbpA, has different colocalization patterns with bacterial condensates and aggregates, demonstrating its potential applicability as a reporter to differentiate the two in vivo. Overall, this framework provides a generalizable, accessible, and rigorous set of experiments to probe the nature of biomolecular condensates on the sub-micron scale in bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Hoang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Rachel E Dow
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Maria Ghalmi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Julie S Biteen
- Doctoral Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Anthony G Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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8
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Monterroso B, Margolin W, Boersma AJ, Rivas G, Poolman B, Zorrilla S. Macromolecular Crowding, Phase Separation, and Homeostasis in the Orchestration of Bacterial Cellular Functions. Chem Rev 2024; 124:1899-1949. [PMID: 38331392 PMCID: PMC10906006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Macromolecular crowding affects the activity of proteins and functional macromolecular complexes in all cells, including bacteria. Crowding, together with physicochemical parameters such as pH, ionic strength, and the energy status, influences the structure of the cytoplasm and thereby indirectly macromolecular function. Notably, crowding also promotes the formation of biomolecular condensates by phase separation, initially identified in eukaryotic cells but more recently discovered to play key functions in bacteria. Bacterial cells require a variety of mechanisms to maintain physicochemical homeostasis, in particular in environments with fluctuating conditions, and the formation of biomolecular condensates is emerging as one such mechanism. In this work, we connect physicochemical homeostasis and macromolecular crowding with the formation and function of biomolecular condensates in the bacterial cell and compare the supramolecular structures found in bacteria with those of eukaryotic cells. We focus on the effects of crowding and phase separation on the control of bacterial chromosome replication, segregation, and cell division, and we discuss the contribution of biomolecular condensates to bacterial cell fitness and adaptation to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Monterroso
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - William Margolin
- Department
of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth-Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Arnold J. Boersma
- Cellular
Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty
of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Germán Rivas
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Zorrilla
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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9
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Chong TN, Panjalingam M, Saurabh S, Shapiro L. Phosphatase to kinase switch of a critical enzyme contributes to timing of cell differentiation. mBio 2024; 15:e0212523. [PMID: 38055339 PMCID: PMC10790692 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02125-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The process of cell differentiation is highly regulated in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The aquatic bacterium, Caulobacter crescentus, undergoes programmed cell differentiation from a motile swarmer cell to a stationary stalked cell with each cell cycle. This critical event is regulated at multiple levels. Kinase activity of the bifunctional enzyme, PleC, is limited to a brief period when it initiates the molecular signaling cascade that results in cell differentiation. Conversely, PleC phosphatase activity is required for pili formation and flagellar rotation. We show that PleC is localized to the flagellar pole by the scaffold protein, PodJ, which is known to suppress PleC kinase activity in vitro. PleC mutants that are unable to bind PodJ have increased kinase activity in vivo, resulting in premature differentiation. We propose a model in which PodJ regulation of PleC's enzymatic activity contributes to the robust timing of cell differentiation during the Caulobacter cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha N. Chong
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Mayura Panjalingam
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Saumya Saurabh
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lucy Shapiro
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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10
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Nandana V, Al-Husini N, Vaishnav A, Dilrangi KH, Schrader JM. Caulobacter crescentus RNase E condensation contributes to autoregulation and fitness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.15.571756. [PMID: 38168245 PMCID: PMC10760160 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.15.571756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
RNase E is the most common RNA decay nuclease in bacteria, setting the global mRNA decay rate and scaffolding formation of the RNA degradosome complex and BR-bodies. To properly set the global mRNA decay rate, RNase E from Escherichia coli and neighboring γ-proteobacteria were found to autoregulate RNase E levels via the decay of its mRNA's 5' UTR. While the 5' UTR is absent from other groups of bacteria in the Rfam database, we identified that the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus RNase E contains a similar 5' UTR structure that promotes RNase E autoregulation. In both bacteria, the C-terminal IDR of RNase E is required for proper autoregulation to occur, and this IDR is also necessary and sufficient for RNase E to phase-separate, generating BR-bodies. Using in vitro purified RNase E, we find that the IDR's ability to promote phase-separation correlates with enhanced 5' UTR cleavage, suggesting that phase-separation of RNase E with the 5' UTR enhances autoregulation. Finally, using growth competition experiments we find that a strain capable of autoregulation rapidly outcompetes a strain with a 5' UTR mutation that cannot autoregulate, suggesting autoregulation promotes optimal cellular fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidhyadhar Nandana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
| | - Nadra Al-Husini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
| | | | | | - Jared M. Schrader
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
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11
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Zou Z, Wei J, Chen Y, Kang Y, Shi H, Yang F, Shi Z, Chen S, Zhou Y, Sepich-Poore C, Zhuang X, Zhou X, Jiang H, Wen Z, Jin P, Luo C, He C. FMRP phosphorylation modulates neuronal translation through YTHDF1. Mol Cell 2023; 83:4304-4317.e8. [PMID: 37949069 PMCID: PMC10872974 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) control messenger RNA fate in neurons. Here, we report a mechanism that the stimuli-induced neuronal translation is mediated by phosphorylation of a YTHDF1-binding protein FMRP. Mechanistically, YTHDF1 can condense with ribosomal proteins to promote the translation of its mRNA targets. FMRP regulates this process by sequestering YTHDF1 away from the ribosome; upon neuronal stimulation, FMRP becomes phosphorylated and releases YTHDF1 for translation upregulation. We show that a new small molecule inhibitor of YTHDF1 can reverse fragile X syndrome (FXS) developmental defects associated with FMRP deficiency in an organoid model. Our study thus reveals that FMRP and its phosphorylation are important regulators of activity-dependent translation during neuronal development and stimulation and identifies YTHDF1 as a potential therapeutic target for FXS in which developmental defects caused by FMRP depletion could be reversed through YTHDF1 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyu Zou
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jiangbo Wei
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Yantao Chen
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yunhee Kang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Hailing Shi
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Zhuoyue Shi
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Shijie Chen
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Caraline Sepich-Poore
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xiaoxi Zhuang
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xiaoming Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Hualiang Jiang
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zhexing Wen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Cheng Luo
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China.
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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12
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Szoke T, Goldberger O, Albocher-Kedem N, Barsheshet M, Dezorella N, Nussbaum-Shochat A, Wiener R, Schuldiner M, Amster-Choder O. Regulation of major bacterial survival strategies by transcripts sequestration in a membraneless organelle. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113393. [PMID: 37934665 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113393] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
TmaR, the only known pole-localizer protein in Escherichia coli, was shown to cluster at the cell poles and control localization and activity of the major sugar regulator in a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent manner. Here, we show that TmaR assembles by phase separation (PS) via heterotypic interactions with RNA in vivo and in vitro. An unbiased automated mutant screen combined with directed mutagenesis and genetic manipulations uncovered the importance of a predicted nucleic-acid-binding domain, a disordered region, and charged patches, one containing the phosphorylated tyrosine, for TmaR condensation. We demonstrate that, by protecting flagella-related transcripts, TmaR controls flagella production and, thus, cell motility and biofilm formation. These results connect PS in bacteria to survival and provide an explanation for the linkage between metabolism and motility. Intriguingly, a point mutation or increase in its cellular concentration induces irreversible liquid-to-solid transition of TmaR, similar to human disease-causing proteins, which affects cell morphology and division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Szoke
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Omer Goldberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Nitsan Albocher-Kedem
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Meshi Barsheshet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Nili Dezorella
- Electron Microscopy Unit, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Anat Nussbaum-Shochat
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Reuven Wiener
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Maya Schuldiner
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Orna Amster-Choder
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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13
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Prindle JR, de Cuba OIC, Gahlmann A. Single-molecule tracking to determine the abundances and stoichiometries of freely-diffusing protein complexes in living cells: Past applications and future prospects. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:071002. [PMID: 37589409 PMCID: PMC10908566 DOI: 10.1063/5.0155638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Most biological processes in living cells rely on interactions between proteins. Live-cell compatible approaches that can quantify to what extent a given protein participates in homo- and hetero-oligomeric complexes of different size and subunit composition are therefore critical to advance our understanding of how cellular physiology is governed by these molecular interactions. Biomolecular complex formation changes the diffusion coefficient of constituent proteins, and these changes can be measured using fluorescence microscopy-based approaches, such as single-molecule tracking, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. In this review, we focus on the use of single-molecule tracking to identify, resolve, and quantify the presence of freely-diffusing proteins and protein complexes in living cells. We compare and contrast different data analysis methods that are currently employed in the field and discuss experimental designs that can aid the interpretation of the obtained results. Comparisons of diffusion rates for different proteins and protein complexes in intracellular aqueous environments reported in the recent literature reveal a clear and systematic deviation from the Stokes-Einstein diffusion theory. While a complete and quantitative theoretical explanation of why such deviations manifest is missing, the available data suggest the possibility of weighing freely-diffusing proteins and protein complexes in living cells by measuring their diffusion coefficients. Mapping individual diffusive states to protein complexes of defined molecular weight, subunit stoichiometry, and structure promises to provide key new insights into how protein-protein interactions regulate protein conformational, translational, and rotational dynamics, and ultimately protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Robert Prindle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA
| | - Olivia Isabella Christiane de Cuba
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, USA
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14
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Ahmed YM, Bowman GR. Phospho-signaling couples polar asymmetry and proteolysis within a membraneless microdomain in C. crescentus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.19.553945. [PMID: 37645878 PMCID: PMC10462113 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.19.553945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Asymmetric cell division in bacteria is achieved through cell polarization, where regulatory proteins are directed to specific cell poles. Curiously, both poles contain a membraneless microdomain, established by the polar assembly hub PopZ, through most of the cell cycle, yet many PopZ clients are unipolar and transiently localized. We find that PopZ's interaction with the response regulator CpdR is controlled by phosphorylation, via the histidine kinase CckA. Phosphorylated CpdR does not interact with PopZ and is not localized to cell poles. At poles where CckA acts as a phosphatase, de-phosphorylated CpdR binds directly with PopZ and subsequently recruits ClpX, substrates, and other members of a protease complex to the cell pole. We also find that co-recruitment of protease components and substrates to polar microdomains enhances their coordinated activity. This study connects phosphosignaling with polar assembly and the activity of a protease that triggers cell cycle progression and cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasin M Ahmed
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie Wyoming 82071
| | - Grant R Bowman
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie Wyoming 82071
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15
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Collins MJ, Tomares DT, Nandana V, Schrader JM, Childers WS. RNase E biomolecular condensates stimulate PNPase activity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12937. [PMID: 37558691 PMCID: PMC10412687 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39565-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial Ribonucleoprotein bodies (BR-bodies) play an essential role in organizing RNA degradation via phase separation in the cytoplasm of bacteria. BR-bodies mediate multi-step mRNA decay through the concerted activity of the endoribonuclease RNase E coupled with the 3'-5' exoribonuclease Polynucleotide Phosphorylase (PNPase). In vivo, studies indicated that the loss of PNPase recruitment into BR-bodies led to a significant build-up of RNA decay intermediates in Caulobacter crescentus. However, it remained unclear whether this is due to a lack of colocalized PNPase and RNase E within BR-bodies or whether PNPase's activity is stimulated within the BR-body. We reconstituted RNase E's C-terminal domain with PNPase towards a minimal BR-body in vitro to distinguish these possibilities. We found that PNPase's catalytic activity is accelerated when colocalized within the RNase E biomolecular condensates, partly due to scaffolding and mass action effects. In contrast, disruption of the RNase E-PNPase protein-protein interaction led to a loss of PNPase recruitment into the RNase E condensates and a loss of ribonuclease rate enhancement. We also found that RNase E's unique biomolecular condensate environment tuned PNPase's substrate specificity for poly(A) over poly(U). Intriguingly, a critical PNPase reactant, phosphate, reduces RNase E phase separation both in vitro and in vivo. This regulatory feedback ensures that under limited phosphate resources, PNPase activity is enhanced by recruitment into RNase E's biomolecular condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Collins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15260, USA
| | - Dylan T Tomares
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15260, USA
| | - Vidhyadhar Nandana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Jared M Schrader
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - W Seth Childers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15260, USA.
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16
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Vecchiarelli A, Hoang Y, Azaldegui C, Ghalmi M, Biteen J. An experimental framework to assess biomolecular condensates in bacteria. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2725220. [PMID: 37066349 PMCID: PMC10104261 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2725220/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution imaging of biomolecular condensates in living cells is essential for correlating their properties to those observed through in vitro assays. However, such experiments are limited in bacteria due to resolution limitations. Here we present an experimental framework that probes the formation, reversibility, and dynamics of condensate-forming proteins in Escherichia coli as a means to determine the nature of biomolecular condensates in bacteria. We demonstrate that condensates form after passing a threshold concentration, maintain a soluble fraction, dissolve upon shifts in temperature and concentration, and exhibit dynamics consistent with internal rearrangement and exchange between condensed and soluble fractions. We also discovered that an established marker for insoluble protein aggregates, IbpA, has different colocalization patterns with bacterial condensates and aggregates, demonstrating its applicability as a reporter to differentiate the two in vivo. Overall, this framework provides a generalizable, accessible, and rigorous set of experiments to probe the nature of biomolecular condensates on the sub-micron scale in bacterial cells.
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17
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Lu N, Duvall SW, Zhao G, Kowallis KA, Zhang C, Tan W, Sun J, Petitjean HN, Tomares DT, Zhao GP, Childers WS, Zhao W. Scaffold-Scaffold Interaction Facilitates Cell Polarity Development in Caulobacter crescentus. mBio 2023; 14:e0321822. [PMID: 36971555 PMCID: PMC10127582 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03218-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus
is a well-established bacterial model to study asymmetric cell division for decades. During cell development, the polarization of scaffold protein PopZ from monopolar to bipolar plays a central role in
C. crescentus
asymmetric cell division.
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18
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Hoang Y, Azaldegui CA, Ghalmi M, Biteen JS, Vecchiarelli AG. An experimental framework to assess biomolecular condensates in bacteria. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.22.533878. [PMID: 36993636 PMCID: PMC10055370 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.22.533878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution imaging of biomolecular condensates in living cells is essential for correlating their properties to those observed through in vitro assays. However, such experiments are limited in bacteria due to resolution limitations. Here we present an experimental framework that probes the formation, reversibility, and dynamics of condensate-forming proteins in Escherichia coli as a means to determine the nature of biomolecular condensates in bacteria. We demonstrate that condensates form after passing a threshold concentration, maintain a soluble fraction, dissolve upon shifts in temperature and concentration, and exhibit dynamics consistent with internal rearrangement and exchange between condensed and soluble fractions. We also discovered that an established marker for insoluble protein aggregates, IbpA, has different colocalization patterns with bacterial condensates and aggregates, demonstrating its applicability as a reporter to differentiate the two in vivo. Overall, this framework provides a generalizable, accessible, and rigorous set of experiments to probe the nature of biomolecular condensates on the sub-micron scale in bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Hoang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Equal contribution
| | - Christopher A. Azaldegui
- Doctoral Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Equal contribution
| | - Maria Ghalmi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Julie S. Biteen
- Doctoral Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Anthony G. Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
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19
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Regulation of cell size and Wee1 kinase by elevated levels of the cell cycle regulatory protein kinase Cdr2. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102831. [PMID: 36574843 PMCID: PMC9860436 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cell cycle regulatory proteins catalyze cell cycle progression in a concentration-dependent manner. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the protein kinase Cdr2 promotes mitotic entry by organizing cortical oligomeric nodes that lead to inhibition of Wee1, which itself inhibits the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk1. cdr2Δ cells lack nodes and divide at increased size due to overactive Wee1, but it has not been known how increased Cdr2 levels might impact Wee1 and cell size. It also has not been clear if and how Cdr2 might regulate Wee1 in the absence of the related kinase Cdr1/Nim1. Using a tetracycline-inducible expression system, we found that a 6× increase in Cdr2 expression caused hyperphosphorylation of Wee1 and reduction in cell size even in the absence of Cdr1/Nim1. This overexpressed Cdr2 formed clusters that sequestered Wee1 adjacent to the nuclear envelope. Cdr2 mutants that disrupt either kinase activity or clustering ability failed to sequester Wee1 and to reduce cell size. We propose that Cdr2 acts as a dosage-dependent regulator of cell size by sequestering its substrate Wee1 in cytoplasmic clusters, away from Cdk1 in the nucleus. This mechanism has implications for other clustered kinases, which may act similarly by sequestering substrates.
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20
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Hu HY, Liu YJ. Sequestration of cellular native factors by biomolecular assemblies: Physiological or pathological? BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2022; 1869:119360. [PMID: 36087810 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In addition to native-state structures, biomolecules often form condensed supramolecular assemblies or cellular membraneless organelles that are critical for cell life. These biomolecular assemblies, generally including liquid-like droplets (condensates) and amyloid-like aggregates, can sequester or recruit their interacting partners, so as to either modulate various cellular behaviors or even cause disorders. This review article summarizes recent advances in the sequestration of native factors by biomolecular assemblies and discusses their potential consequences on cellular function, homeostasis, and disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, PR China.
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
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21
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Shapiro L. A Half Century Defining the Logic of Cellular Life. Annu Rev Genet 2022; 56:1-15. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-071719-021436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Over more than fifty years, I have studied how the logic that controls and integrates cell function is built into the dynamic architecture of living cells. I worked with a succession of exceptionally talented students and postdocs, and we discovered that the bacterial cell is controlled by an integrated genetic circuit in which transcriptional and translational controls are interwoven with the three-dimensional deployment of key regulatory and morphological proteins. Caulobacter's interconnected genetic regulatory network includes logic that regulates sets of genes expressed at specific times in the cell cycle and mechanisms that synchronize the advancement of the core cyclical circuit with chromosome replication and cytokinesis. Here, I have traced my journey from New York City art student to Stanford developmental biologist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Shapiro
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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22
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Tan W, Cheng S, Li Y, Li XY, Lu N, Sun J, Tang G, Yang Y, Cai K, Li X, Ou X, Gao X, Zhao GP, Childers WS, Zhao W. Phase separation modulates the assembly and dynamics of a polarity-related scaffold-signaling hub. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7181. [PMID: 36418326 PMCID: PMC9684454 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35000-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric cell division (ACD) produces morphologically and behaviorally distinct cells and is the primary way to generate cell diversity. In the model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the polarization of distinct scaffold-signaling hubs at the swarmer and stalked cell poles constitutes the basis of ACD. However, mechanisms involved in the formation of these hubs remain elusive. Here, we show that a swarmer-cell-pole scaffold, PodJ, forms biomolecular condensates both in vitro and in living cells via phase separation. The coiled-coil 4-6 and the intrinsically disordered regions are the primary domains that contribute to biomolecular condensate generation and signaling protein recruitment in PodJ. Moreover, a negative regulation of PodJ phase separation by the stalked-cell-pole scaffold protein SpmX is revealed. SpmX impedes PodJ cell-pole accumulation and affects its recruitment ability. Together, by modulating the assembly and dynamics of scaffold-signaling hubs, phase separation may serve as a general biophysical mechanism that underlies the regulation of ACD in bacteria and other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tan
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Sihua Cheng
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Yingying Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xiao-Yang Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.256922.80000 0000 9139 560XDepartment of Pharmacy, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004 China
| | - Ning Lu
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Jingxian Sun
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Guiyue Tang
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Yujiao Yang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Kezhu Cai
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xuefei Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xijun Ou
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xiang Gao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Guo-Ping Zhao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443State Key Lab of Genetic Engineering & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
| | - W. Seth Childers
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Wei Zhao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
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23
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Paccione G, Robles-Ramos MÁ, Alfonso C, Sobrinos-Sanguino M, Margolin W, Zorrilla S, Monterroso B, Rivas G. Lipid Surfaces and Glutamate Anions Enhance Formation of Dynamic Biomolecular Condensates Containing Bacterial Cell Division Protein FtsZ and Its DNA-Bound Regulator SlmA. Biochemistry 2022; 61:2482-2489. [PMID: 36315857 PMCID: PMC9670838 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Dynamic biomolecular condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation can regulate the spatial and temporal organization of proteins, thus modulating their functional activity in cells. Previous studies showed that the cell division protein FtsZ from Escherichia coli formed dynamic phase-separated condensates with nucleoprotein complexes containing the FtsZ spatial regulator SlmA under crowding conditions, with potential implications for condensate-mediated spatiotemporal control of FtsZ activity in cell division. In the present study, we assessed formation of these condensates in the presence of lipid surfaces and glutamate ions to better approximate the E. coli intracellular environment. We found that potassium glutamate substantially promoted the formation of FtsZ-containing condensates when compared to potassium chloride in crowded solutions. These condensates accumulated on supported lipid bilayers and eventually fused, resulting in a time-dependent increase in the droplet size. Moreover, the accumulated condensates were dynamic, capturing protein from the external phase. FtsZ partitioned into the condensates at the lipid surface only in its guanosine diphosphate (GDP) form, regardless of whether it came from FtsZ polymer disassembly upon guanosine triphosphate (GTP) exhaustion. These results provide insights into the behavior of these GTP-responsive condensates in minimal membrane systems, which suggest how these membraneless assemblies may tune critical bacterial division events during the cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianfranco Paccione
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Á. Robles-Ramos
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Alfonso
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Sobrinos-Sanguino
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - William Margolin
- Department
of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Silvia Zorrilla
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Begoña Monterroso
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Germán Rivas
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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24
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Gordon-Kim C, Rha A, Poppitz GA, Smith-Carpenter J, Luu R, Roberson AB, Conklin R, Blake A, Lynn DG. Polyanion order controls liquid-to-solid phase transition in peptide/nucleic acid co-assembly. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:991728. [PMID: 36452451 PMCID: PMC9702359 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.991728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The Central Dogma highlights the mutualistic functions of protein and nucleic acid biopolymers, and this synergy appears prominently in the membraneless organelles widely distributed throughout prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms alike. Ribonucleoprotein granules (RNPs), which are complex coacervates of RNA with proteins, are a prime example of these membranelles organelles and underly multiple essential cellular functions. Inspired by the highly dynamic character of these organelles and the recent studies that ATP both inhibits and templates phase separation of the fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, we explored the RNA templated ordering of a single motif of the Aβ peptide of Alzheimer's disease. We now know that this strong cross-β propensity motif alone assembles through a liquid-like coacervate phase that can be externally templated to form distinct supramolecular assemblies. Now we provide evidence that structured phosphates, ranging from complex structures like double stranded and quadraplex DNA to simple trimetaphosphate, differentially impact the liquid to solid phase transition necessary for paracrystalline assembly. The results from this simple model illustrate the potential of ordered environmental templates in the transition to potentially irreversible pathogenic assemblies and provides insight into the ordering dynamics necessary for creating functional synthetic polymer co-assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allisandra Rha
- Children’s Health of Orange County, Research Institute, Orange, CA, United States
| | - George A. Poppitz
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Regina Luu
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Russell Conklin
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Alexis Blake
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - David G. Lynn
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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25
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Fefilova AS, Antifeeva IA, Gavrilova AA, Turoverov KK, Kuznetsova IM, Fonin AV. Reorganization of Cell Compartmentalization Induced by Stress. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1441. [PMID: 36291650 PMCID: PMC9599104 DOI: 10.3390/biom12101441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that do not have an ordered structure and nevertheless perform essential functions has opened a new era in the understanding of cellular compartmentalization. It threw the bridge from the mostly mechanistic model of the organization of the living matter to the idea of highly dynamic and functional "soft matter". This paradigm is based on the notion of the major role of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymers in the spatial-temporal organization of intracellular space. The LLPS leads to the formation of self-assembled membrane-less organelles (MLOs). MLOs are multicomponent and multifunctional biological condensates, highly dynamic in structure and composition, that allow them to fine-tune the regulation of various intracellular processes. IDPs play a central role in the assembly and functioning of MLOs. The LLPS importance for the regulation of chemical reactions inside the cell is clearly illustrated by the reorganization of the intracellular space during stress response. As a reaction to various types of stresses, stress-induced MLOs appear in the cell, enabling the preservation of the genetic and protein material during unfavourable conditions. In addition, stress causes structural, functional, and compositional changes in the MLOs permanently present inside the cells. In this review, we describe the assembly of stress-induced MLOs and the stress-induced modification of existing MLOs in eukaryotes, yeasts, and prokaryotes in response to various stress factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Konstantin K. Turoverov
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology of RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia
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Zwicker D. The intertwined physics of active chemical reactions and phase separation. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2022.101606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Sołtys K, Tarczewska A, Bystranowska D, Sozańska N. Getting Closer to Decrypting the Phase Transitions of Bacterial Biomolecules. Biomolecules 2022; 12:907. [PMID: 35883463 PMCID: PMC9312465 DOI: 10.3390/biom12070907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules has emerged as a new paradigm in cell biology, and the process is one proposed mechanism for the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs). Bacterial cells have only recently drawn strong interest in terms of studies on both liquid-to-liquid and liquid-to-solid phase transitions. It seems that these processes drive the formation of prokaryotic cellular condensates that resemble eukaryotic MLOs. In this review, we present an overview of the key microbial biomolecules that undergo LLPS, as well as the formation and organization of biomacromolecular condensates within the intracellular space. We also discuss the current challenges in investigating bacterial biomacromolecular condensates. Additionally, we highlight a summary of recent knowledge about the participation of bacterial biomolecules in a phase transition and provide some new in silico analyses that can be helpful for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Sołtys
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland; (A.T.); (D.B.); (N.S.)
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Stress-Induced Membraneless Organelles in Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes: Bird’s-Eye View. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095010. [PMID: 35563401 PMCID: PMC9105482 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095010] [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] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is an inevitable part of life. An organism is exposed to multiple stresses and overcomes their negative consequences throughout its entire existence. A correlation was established between life expectancy and resistance to stress, suggesting a relationship between aging and the ability to respond to external adverse effects as well as quickly restore the normal regulation of biological processes. To combat stress, cells developed multiple pro-survival mechanisms, one of them is the assembly of special stress-induced membraneless organelles (MLOs). MLOs are formations that do not possess a lipid membrane but rather form as a result of the “liquid–liquid” phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymers. Stress-responsive MLOs were found in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, they form as a reaction to the acute environmental conditions and are dismantled after its termination. These compartments function to prevent damage to the genetic and protein material of the cell during stress. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of stress-induced MLO-like structures in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
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Zhang C, Zhao W, Duvall SW, Kowallis KA, Childers WS. Regulation of the activity of bacterial histidine kinase PleC by the scaffolding protein PodJ. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101683. [PMID: 35124010 PMCID: PMC8980812 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Scaffolding proteins can customize the response of signaling networks to support cell development and behaviors. PleC is a bifunctional histidine kinase whose signaling activity coordinates asymmetric cell division to yield a motile swarmer cell and a stalked cell in the gram-negative bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. Past studies have shown that PleC’s switch in activity from kinase to phosphatase correlates with a change in its subcellular localization pattern from diffuse to localized at the new cell pole. Here we investigated how the bacterial scaffolding protein PodJ regulates the subcellular positioning and activity of PleC. We reconstituted the PleC-PodJ signaling complex through both heterologous expressions in Escherichia coli and in vitro studies. In vitro, PodJ phase separates as a biomolecular condensate that recruits PleC and inhibits its kinase activity. We also constructed an in vivo PleC-CcaS chimeric histidine kinase reporter assay and demonstrated using this method that PodJ leverages its intrinsically disordered region to bind to PleC’s PAS sensory domain and regulate PleC-CcaS signaling. Regulation of the PleC-CcaS was most robust when PodJ was concentrated at the cell poles and was dependent on the allosteric coupling between PleC-CcaS’s PAS sensory domain and its downstream histidine kinase domain. In conclusion, our in vitro biochemical studies suggest that PodJ phase separation may be coupled to changes in PleC enzymatic function. We propose that this coupling of phase separation and allosteric regulation may be a generalizable phenomenon among enzymes associated with biomolecular condensates.
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