Considerations and Challenges in Studying Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation and Biomolecular Condensates.

https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/pdf/S1097-2765(15)00664-4.pdf

Formation and Maturation of Phase-Separated Liquid Droplets by RNA-Binding Proteins

Stress-Triggered Phase Separation Is an Adaptive, Evolutionarily Tuned Response.

https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/pdf/S1097-2765(15)00737-6.pdf

RNA Controls PolyQ Protein Phase Transitions

Phase transitions of linear multivalent proteins control the reversible formation of many intracellular membraneless bodies. Specific non-covalent crosslinks involving domains/motifs lead to system-spanning networks referred to as gels. Gelation transitions can occur with or without phase separation. In gelation driven by phase separation multivalent proteins and their ligands condense into dense droplets, and gels form within droplets. System spanning networks can also form without a condensation or demixing of proteins into droplets. Gelation driven by phase separation requires lower protein concentrations, and seems to be the biologically preferred mechanism for forming membraneless bodies. Here, we use coarse-grained computer simulations and the theory of associative polymers to uncover the physical properties of intrinsically disordered linkers that determine the extent to which gelation of linear multivalent proteins is driven by phase separation. Our findings are relevant for understanding how sequence-encoded information in disordered linkers influences phase transitions of multivalent proteins.

Intrinsically disordered linkers determine the interplay between phase separation and gelation in multivalent proteins.

Protein aggregation behavior regulates cyclin transcript localization and cell-cycle control.

Dendritic growth in fungi and neurons requires that multiple axes of polarity are established and maintained within the same cytoplasm. We have discovered that transcripts encoding key polarity factors including a formin, Bni1, and a polarisome scaffold, Spa2, are nonrandomly clustered in the cytosol to initiate and maintain sites of polarized growth in the fungus Ashbya gossypii. This asymmetric distribution requires the mRNAs to interact with a polyQ-containing protein, Whi3, and a Pumilio protein with a low-complexity sequence, Puf2. Cells lacking Whi3 or Puf2 had severe defects in establishing new sites of polarity and failed to localize Bni1 protein. Interaction of mRNAs with Whi3 and Puf2 promotes enrichment of transcripts at established sites of polarized growth and clustering of polarity transcripts throughout the cell body. Thus, aggregation-prone proteins make functional assemblies to position polarity transcripts, and nonrandom positioning of transcripts is required for symmetry-breaking events. This reveals a physiological function for polyQ-driven assemblies in regulating cell polarity.

/pdf/polyq-dependent-rna-protein-assemblies-control-symmetry-2q2k4cuy8e.pdf

PolyQ-dependent RNA–protein assemblies control symmetry breaking

C. elegans Notch signaling maintains a pool of germline stem cells within their single-celled mesenchymal niche. Here we investigate the Notch transcriptional response in germline stem cells using single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization coupled with automated, high-throughput quantitation. This approach allows us to distinguish Notch-dependent nascent transcripts in the nucleus from mature mRNAs in the cytoplasm. We find that Notch-dependent active transcription sites occur in a probabilistic fashion and, unexpectedly, do so in a steep gradient across the stem cell pool. Yet these graded nuclear sites create a nearly uniform field of mRNAs that extends beyond the region of transcriptional activation. Therefore, active transcription sites provide a precise view of where the Notch-dependent transcriptional complex is productively engaged. Our findings offer a new window into the Notch transcriptional response and demonstrate the importance of assaying nascent transcripts at active transcription sites as a readout for canonical signaling.

/pdf/c-elegans-glp-1-notch-activates-transcription-in-a-3spec8ax21.pdf

C. elegans GLP-1/Notch activates transcription in a probability gradient across the germline stem cell pool.

Dynamics of Notch-Dependent Transcriptional Bursting in Its Native Context.

Most organisms on earth sense light through the use of chromophore-bearing photoreceptive proteins with distinct and characteristic photocycle lengths, yet the biological significance of this adduct decay length is neither understood nor has been tested. In the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa VIVID (VVD) is a critical player in the process of photoadaptation, the attenuation of light-induced responses and the ability to maintain photosensitivity in response to changing light intensities. Detailed in vitro analysis of the photochemistry of the blue light sensing, FAD binding, LOV domain of VVD has revealed residues around the site of photo-adduct formation that influence the stability of the adduct state (light state), that is, altering the photocycle length. We have examined the biological significance of VVD photocycle length to photoadaptation and report that a double substitution mutant (vvdI74VI85V), previously shown to have a very fast light to dark state reversion in vitro, shows significantly reduced interaction with the White Collar Complex (WCC) resulting in a substantial photoadaptation defect. This reduced interaction impacts photoreceptor transcription factor WHITE COLLAR-1 (WC-1) protein stability when N. crassa is exposed to light: The fast-reverting mutant VVD is unable to form a dynamic VVD-WCC pool of the size required for photoadaptation as assayed both by attenuation of gene expression and the ability to respond to increasing light intensity. Additionally, transcription of the clock gene frequency (frq) is sensitive to changing light intensity in a wild-type strain but not in the fast photo-reversion mutant indicating that the establishment of this dynamic VVD-WCC pool is essential in general photobiology and circadian biology. Thus, VVD photocycle length appears sculpted to establish a VVD-WCC reservoir of sufficient size to sustain photoadaptation while maintaining sensitivity to changing light intensity. The great diversity in photocycle kinetics among photoreceptors may be viewed as reflecting adaptive responses to specific and salient tasks required by organisms to respond to different photic environments.

/pdf/biological-significance-of-photoreceptor-photocycle-length-2rhdhuevob.pdf

Biological Significance of Photoreceptor Photocycle Length: VIVID Photocycle Governs the Dynamic VIVID-White Collar Complex Pool Mediating Photo-adaptation and Response to Changes in Light Intensity.

ChangHwan Lee

Papers

Protein aggregation behavior regulates cyclin transcript localization and cell-cycle control.

PolyQ-dependent RNA–protein assemblies control symmetry breaking

C. elegans GLP-1/Notch activates transcription in a probability gradient across the germline stem cell pool.

Dynamics of Notch-Dependent Transcriptional Bursting in Its Native Context.

Biological Significance of Photoreceptor Photocycle Length: VIVID Photocycle Governs the Dynamic VIVID-White Collar Complex Pool Mediating Photo-adaptation and Response to Changes in Light Intensity.