TY - JOUR
T1 - RNA Controls PolyQ Protein Phase Transitions
AU - Zhang, Huaiying
AU - Elbaum-Garfinkle, Shana
AU - Langdon, Erin M.
AU - Taylor, Nicole
AU - Occhipinti, Patricia
AU - Bridges, Andrew A.
AU - Brangwynne, Clifford P.
AU - Gladfelter, Amy S.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Jane Lipson; Charles Barlowe; the HHMI Summer Institute at the Marine Biological laboratory in Woods Hole, MA; members in Heather True lab, the Gladfelter lab, and Brangwynne lab for helpful discussion; and Ann M. Lavanway for microscopy support. H.Z., E.L., P.O., and A.S.G. were supported by National Institutes of Health (R01-GM081506); C.P.B., S.E.G., and N.T. was supported by Human Frontier Science Program Grant RGP0007/2012, National Institutes of Health New Innovator Awards 1DP2GM105437-01 (to C.P.B.), the Searle Scholars Program (C.P.B.), National Science Foundation CAREER Award 1253035 (to C.P.B.).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2015/10/15
Y1 - 2015/10/15
N2 - Compartmentalization in cells is central to the spatial and temporal control of biochemistry. In addition to membrane-bound organelles, membrane-less compartments form partitions in cells. Increasing evidence suggests that these compartments assemble through liquid-liquid phase separation. However, the spatiotemporal control of their assembly, and how they maintain distinct functional and physical identities, is poorly understood. We have previously shown an RNA-binding protein with a polyQ-expansion called Whi3 is essential for the spatial patterning of cyclin and formin transcripts in cytosol. Here, we show that specific mRNAs that are known physiological targets of Whi3 drive phase separation. mRNA can alter the viscosity of droplets, their propensity to fuse, and the exchange rates of components with bulk solution. Different mRNAs impart distinct biophysical properties of droplets, indicating mRNA can bring individuality to assemblies. Our findings suggest that mRNAs can encode not only genetic information but also the biophysical properties of phase-separated compartments.
AB - Compartmentalization in cells is central to the spatial and temporal control of biochemistry. In addition to membrane-bound organelles, membrane-less compartments form partitions in cells. Increasing evidence suggests that these compartments assemble through liquid-liquid phase separation. However, the spatiotemporal control of their assembly, and how they maintain distinct functional and physical identities, is poorly understood. We have previously shown an RNA-binding protein with a polyQ-expansion called Whi3 is essential for the spatial patterning of cyclin and formin transcripts in cytosol. Here, we show that specific mRNAs that are known physiological targets of Whi3 drive phase separation. mRNA can alter the viscosity of droplets, their propensity to fuse, and the exchange rates of components with bulk solution. Different mRNAs impart distinct biophysical properties of droplets, indicating mRNA can bring individuality to assemblies. Our findings suggest that mRNAs can encode not only genetic information but also the biophysical properties of phase-separated compartments.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.molcel.2015.09.017
DO - 10.1016/j.molcel.2015.09.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 26474065
AN - SCOPUS:84944884155
SN - 1097-2765
VL - 60
SP - 220
EP - 230
JO - Molecular Cell
JF - Molecular Cell
IS - 2
ER -