Title Information
Title
Molecular insights into the homotypic and heterotypic interactions that promote liquid-liquid phase separation of the RNA-binding protein Fused In Sarcoma
Type of Resource (primo)
dissertations
Name: Personal
Name Part
Murthy, Anastasia C
Role
Role Term: Text
creator
Name: Personal
Name Part
Fawzi, Nicolas
Role
Role Term: Text
Advisor
Name: Personal
Name Part
Hart, Anne
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Jogl, Gerwald
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Lisi, George
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Mowry, Kimberly
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Bosco, Daryl
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Corporate
Name Part
Brown University. Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry
Role
Role Term: Text
sponsor
Origin Information
Copyright Date
2020
Physical Description
Extent
xv, 232 p.
digitalOrigin
born digital
Note: thesis
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Brown University, 2020
Genre (aat)
theses
Abstract
Subcellular organization is important for maintaining cellular homeostasis within eukaryotic cells. In addition to membrane-bound organelles, membraneless compartmentalization of the cell occurs via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins and nucleic acids. The underlying molecular interactions that underpin biomolecular LLPS have been of increased interest due to the importance of membraneless organelles (MLOs) in facilitating various biological processes and the disease-association of several of the proteins that mediate LLPS. Proteins that are able to undergo LLPS often contain intrinsically disordered regions. Solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a leading structural technique to characterize protein LLPS due to the variety and specificity of information that can be obtained about intrinsically disordered sequences. Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) is a ribonucleoprotein which functions in multiple aspects of RNA metabolism including transcription. FUS is able to undergo LLPS; however, the molecular details about the homotypic and heterotypic protein-protein interactions that contributed to FUS LLPS and incorporation into MLOs is unknown. In Chapter Two, I used solution-state NMR spectroscopy to directly characterize the secondary structure within the condensed phase of FUS SYGQ LC. I found that FUS SYGQ LC retains conformational heterogeneity within the condensed phase, allowing for multivalent interactions involving all major residue types. In Chapter Three, I extended this analysis to understand the sequence motifs that contribute to LLPS as opposed to fibrillar aggregation. Using bioinformatics and mutational analysis, I identify GYGQ motifs as important for liquid-like assembly. Finally, in Chapter Four, I demonstrate that the RGG domains of FUS contribute to LLPS in concert with the SYGQ LC and interact with RNA polymerase II. My work provides a unified mechanism for FUS LLPS involving both the N-terminal SYGQ-rich low complexity domain and RGG domains and supports the hypothesis that conformational heterogeneity and multivalent interactions are important for LLPS systems in general. Together, this thesis establishes the mechanistic basis of FUS LLPS and lays the foundation for insights into the role of FUS in RNP granules.
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/01040333")
Topic
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Subject
Topic
liquid-liquid phase separation
Subject
Topic
RNP granules
Subject
Topic
Fused in Sarcoma
Subject
Topic
Structural biology
Subject
Topic
Protein assembly
Language
Language Term (ISO639-2B)
English
Record Information
Record Content Source (marcorg)
RPB
Record Creation Date (encoding="iso8601")
20220912