Biology subjects

Deniz, A. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Deniz, A. A..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Biomolecular Condensates can Induce Local Membrane Potentials

Biomolecular condensates are a ubiquitous component of cells, known for their ability to selectively partition and compartmentalize biomolecules without the need for a lipid membrane. Nevertheless, condensates have been shown to interact with lipid membranes in diverse biological processes, such as autophagy and T-cell activation. Since many condensates are known to have a net surface charge density and associated electric potential(s), we hypothesized that they can induce a local membrane potential. Using an electrochromic dye, we demonstrate that poly-lysine/ATP condensates induce a localized membrane potential in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles. This effect diminishes with increasing salt concentration and higher ATP-to-poly-lysine ratios, underscoring the key role of condensate charge. Numerical modeling of the condensate-membrane interface using an electro-thermodynamic framework supports our experimental findings and highlights parameters expected to play a key role in the effect. These results have broad implications for biological processes regulated by membrane potential, particularly in contexts such as neuronal signaling, where condensate interactions with membranes may play a previously unrecognized regulatory role.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2024

Cellular Function of a Biomolecular Condensate Is Determined by Its Ultrastructure

Biomolecular condensates play key roles in the spatiotemporal regulation of cellular processes. Yet, the relationship between atomic features and condensate function remains poorly understood. We studied this relationship using the polar organizing protein Z (PopZ) as a model system, revealing how its material properties and cellular function depend on its ultrastructure. We revealed PopZs hierarchical assembly into a filamentous condensate by integrating cryo-electron tomography, biochemistry, single-molecule techniques, and molecular dynamics simulations. The helical domain drives filamentation and condensation, while the disordered domain inhibits them. Phase-dependent conformational changes prevent interfilament contacts in the dilute phase and expose client binding sites in the dense phase. These findings establish a multiscale framework that links molecular interactions and condensate ultrastructure to macroscopic material properties that drive cellular function.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Reentrant DNA shells tune polyphosphate condensate size

The ancient, inorganic biopolymer polyphosphate (polyP) occurs in all three domains of life and affects myriad cellular processes. An intriguing feature of polyP is its frequent proximity to chromatin, and in the case of many bacteria, its occurrence in the form of magnesium-enriched condensates embedded in the nucleoid, particularly in response to stress. The physical basis of the interaction between polyP and DNA, two fundamental anionic biopolymers, and the resulting effects on the organization of both the nucleoid and polyP condensates remain poorly understood. Given the essential role of magnesium ions in the coordination of polymeric phosphate species, we hypothesized that a minimal system of polyP, magnesium ions, and DNA (polyP-Mg2+-DNA) would capture key features of the interplay between the condensates and bacterial chromatin. We find that DNA can profoundly affect polyP-Mg2+ coacervation even at concentrations several orders of magnitude lower than found in the cell. The DNA forms shells around polyP-Mg2+ condensates and these shells show reentrant behavior, primarily forming in the concentration range close to polyP-Mg2+ charge neutralization. This surface association tunes both condensate size and DNA morphology in a manner dependent on DNA properties, including length and concentration. Our work identifies three components that could form the basis of a central and tunable interaction hub that interfaces with cellular interactors. These studies will inform future efforts to understand the basis of polyP granule composition and consolidation, as well as the potential capacity of these mesoscale assemblies to remodel chromatin in response to diverse stressors at different length and time scales.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2022

Spatial and functional arrangement of Ebola virus polymerase inside phase-separated viral factories

Ebola virus (EBOV) infection induces the formation of membrane-less, cytoplasmic compartments termed viral factories, in which multiple viral proteins gather and coordinate viral transcription, replication and assembly. Key to viral factory function is the recruitment of EBOV polymerase, a multifunctional machine that mediates transcription and replication of the viral RNA genome. We show that intracellularly reconstituted EBOV viral factories are biomolecular condensates, with composition-dependent internal exchange dynamics that likely facilitates viral replication. Within the viral factory, we found the EBOV polymerase clusters into foci. The distance between these foci increases when viral replication is enabled. In addition to the typical droplet-like viral factories, we report the formation of network-like viral factories during EBOV infection. Unlike droplet-like viral factories, network-like factories are inactive for EBOV nucleocapsid assembly. This unique view of EBOV propagation suggests a form-to-function relationship that describes how physical properties and internal structures of biomolecular condensates influence viral biogenesis.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Structural basis of interdomain communication in PPARγ

The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR{gamma}) regulates transcription via two activation function (AF) regulatory domains: a ligand-dependent AF-2 coregulator interaction surface within the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD), and an N-terminal disordered AF-1 domain (NTD or A/B region) that functions through poorly understood structural mechanisms. Here, we show the PPAR{gamma} AF-1 contains an evolutionary conserved Trp-Pro motif that undergoes cis/trans isomerization, populating two long-lived conformations that participate in intradomain AF-1 and interdomain interactions including two surfaces in the C-terminal LBD ({beta}-sheet and the AF-2 surface), which are predicted in AlphaFold 3 models but not AlphaFold 2. NMR and chemical crosslinking mass spectrometry show that interdomain interactions occur for soluble isolated AF-1 and LBD proteins, as well as in full-length PPAR{gamma} in a phase separated state. Mutation of the region containing the Trp-Pro motif, which abrogates cis/trans isomerization of this region, impacts LBD interaction and reduces basal PPAR{gamma}-mediated transcription and agonist-dependent activation of PPAR{gamma}. Our findings provide structural insight into published in vitro and cellular studies that reported interdomain functional communication between the PPAR{gamma} AF-1 and LBD suggesting some of these effects may be mediated via AF-1/LBD interactions.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2018

Divalent cations can control a switch-like behavior in heterotypic and homotypic RNA coacervates

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of RNA-protein complexes plays a major role in the cellular function of membraneless organelles (MLOs). MLOs are sensitive to changes in cellular conditions, such as fluctuations in cytoplasmic ion concentrations. To investigate the effect of these changes on MLOs, we studied the influence of divalent cations on the physical and chemical properties of RNA coacervates. Using a model arginine-rich peptide-RNA system, we predicted and observed that variations in signaling cations exert interaction-dependent effects on RNA LLPS. Changing the ionic environment has opposing effects on the propensity for heterotypic peptide-RNA and homotypic RNA LLPS, which results in a switch between coacervate types. Furthermore, divalent ion variations continuously tune the microenvironments and fluid properties of heterotypic and homotypic droplets. Our results may provide a generic mechanism for modulating the biochemical environment of RNA coacervates in a cellular context.

biochemistry↗