Journal ArticleDOI
Germline P Granules Are Liquid Droplets That Localize by Controlled Dissolution/Condensation
Clifford P. Brangwynne,Christian R. Eckmann,David S. Courson,Agata Rybarska,Carsten Hoege,Jöbin Gharakhani,Jöbin Gharakhani,Frank Jülicher,Frank Jülicher,Anthony A. Hyman,Anthony A. Hyman +10 more
Reads0
Chats0
TLDR
It is shown that P granules exhibit liquid-like behaviors, including fusion, dripping, and wetting, which is used to estimate their viscosity and surface tension, and reflects a classic phase transition, in which polarity proteins vary the condensation point across the cell.Abstract:
In sexually reproducing organisms, embryos specify germ cells, which ultimately generate sperm and eggs In Caenorhabditis elegans, the first germ cell is established when RNA and protein-rich P granules localize to the posterior of the one-cell embryo Localization of P granules and their physical nature remain poorly understood Here we show that P granules exhibit liquid-like behaviors, including fusion, dripping, and wetting, which we used to estimate their viscosity and surface tension As with other liquids, P granules rapidly dissolved and condensed Localization occurred by a biased increase in P granule condensation at the posterior This process reflects a classic phase transition, in which polarity proteins vary the condensation point across the cell Such phase transitions may represent a fundamental physicochemical mechanism for structuring the cytoplasmread more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Aggregation, segregation, and dispersal of homotypic germ plasm RNPs in the early zebrafish embryo
TL;DR: In zebrafish, germ plasm ribonucleoparticles aggregate along the cleavage furrows during the first several cell cycles, segregate asymmetrically during the Cleavage stages, and undergo cytoplasmic dispersal in the late blastula.
Journal ArticleDOI
The HSV-1 Transcription Factor ICP4 Confers Liquid-Like Properties to Viral Replication Compartments
Michael Seyffert,Fanny Georgi,Kurt Tobler,Laurent Bourqui,Michela Anfossi,Michela Anfossi,Kevin Michaelsen,Bernd Vogt,Urs F. Greber,Cornel Fraefel +9 more
TL;DR: In this article, the essential HSV-1 transcription factor ICP4 is shown to be an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) capable of driving protein condensation and liquid-liquid phase separation in transfected cells.
Journal ArticleDOI
A Simple Explicit-Solvent Model of Polyampholyte Phase Behaviors and Its Ramifications for Dielectric Effects in Biomolecular Condensates.
TL;DR: In this article, a simplified multiple-chain model of polyampholytes immersed in explicit solvents that are either polarizable or possess a permanent dipole is proposed. But the model is not suitable for the case of biomolecular condensates such as membraneless organelles, and the simulation results show only minor to moderate differences from those obtained using implicit-solvent models.
Journal ArticleDOI
Active transport of cytoophidia in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that actin filaments, not microtubules, are responsible for the active transport of cytoophidia, and it is determined that Myo52, a type of myosin V, is required for this transport.
Book ChapterDOI
Using a sequence-specific coarse-grained model for studying protein liquid–liquid phase separation
TL;DR: This work summarizes a coarse-grained modeling framework that uses a single bead per amino acid resolution and the co-existence sampling technique to study sequence-specific protein phase separation using molecular dynamics simulations.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
RNA-binding proteins: modular design for efficient function.
TL;DR: These studies have shown how, for many RNA-binding proteins, multiple modules define the fundamental structural unit that is responsible for biological function.
Journal ArticleDOI
The cell as a material.
Karen E. Kasza,Amy C. Rowat,Jiayu Liu,Thomas E. Angelini,Clifford P. Brangwynne,Gijsje H. Koenderink,David A. Weitz +6 more
TL;DR: Reconstituted cytoskeletal protein networks have been shown to mimic many aspects of the mechanical properties of cells, providing new insight into the origin of cellular behavior.
Journal ArticleDOI
Direct visual observation of thermal capillary waves.
TL;DR: It is shown that capillary waves induce the spontaneous breakup of thin liquid films and thus are of key importance in the process of droplet coalescence.
Journal ArticleDOI
Pathway to Totipotency: Lessons from Germ Cells
TL;DR: Common themes emerging from the study of germ cells in vertebrates and invertebrates are described, including transcriptional repression, chromatin remodeling, and an emphasis on posttranscriptional gene regulation that preserve the totipotent genome of germ cell through generations.
Journal ArticleDOI
PGL-1, a Predicted RNA-Binding Component of Germ Granules, Is Essential for Fertility in C. elegans
TL;DR: It is shown that a component of germ granules is essential for fertility in C. elegans and that its primary function is in germline proliferation.
Related Papers (5)
A Liquid-to-Solid Phase Transition of the ALS Protein FUS Accelerated by Disease Mutation
Avinash Patel,Hyun O. Lee,Louise Jawerth,Shovamayee Maharana,Marcus Jahnel,Marco Y. Hein,Stoyno S. Stoynov,Julia Mahamid,Shambaditya Saha,Titus M. Franzmann,Andrej Pozniakovski,Ina Poser,Nicola Maghelli,Loic Royer,Martin Weigert,Eugene W. Myers,Stephan W. Grill,David N. Drechsel,Anthony A. Hyman,Simon Alberti +19 more