scholarly journals Prediction of liquid-liquid phase separation proteins using machine learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanlin Sun ◽  
Qian Li ◽  
Youjun Xu ◽  
Zhuqing Zhang ◽  
Luhua Lai ◽  
...  

AbstractThe liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of bio-molecules in cell underpins the formation of membraneless organelles, which are the condensates of protein, nucleic acid, or both, and play critical roles in cellular functions. The dysregulation of LLPS might be implicated in a number of diseases. Although the LLPS of biomolecules has been investigated intensively in recent years, the knowledge of the prevalence and distribution of phase separation proteins (PSPs) is still lag behind. Development of computational methods to predict PSPs is therefore of great importance for comprehensive understanding of the biological function of LLPS. Here, a sequence-based prediction tool using machine learning for LLPS proteins (PSPredictor) was developed. Our model can achieve a maximum 10-CV accuracy of 96.03%, and performs much better in identifying new PSPs than reported PSP prediction tools. As far as we know, this is the first attempt to make a direct and more general prediction on LLPS proteins only based on sequence information.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanlin Sun ◽  
Qian Li ◽  
Youjun Xu ◽  
Zhuqing Zhang ◽  
Luhua Lai ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valery Nguemaha ◽  
Huan-Xiang Zhou

AbstractRecently many cellular functions have been associated with membraneless organelles, or protein droplets, formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Proteins in these droplets often contain RNA-binding domains, but the effects of RNA on LLPS have been controversial. To gain better understanding on the roles of RNA, here we used Gibbs-ensemble simulations to determine phase diagrams of two-component patchy particles, as models for mixtures of proteins with RNA or other regulatory components. Protein-like particles have four patches, with attraction strength εPP; regulatory particles experience mutual steric repulsion but have two attractive patches toward proteins, with the strength εPR tunable. At low εPR, the regulator, due to steric repulsion, preferentially partitions in the dispersed phase, thereby displacing the protein into the droplet phase and promoting LLPS. At moderate εPR, the regulator starts to partition and displace the protein in the droplet phase, but only to weaken bonding networks and thereby suppress LLPS. At εPR > εPP, the enhanced bonding ability of the regulator initially promotes LLPS, but at higher amounts, the resulting displacement of the protein suppresses LLPS. These results illustrate how RNA can have disparate effects on LLPS, thus able to perform diverse functions in different organelles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayuko Sakane ◽  
Taka-aki Yano ◽  
Takayuki Uchihashi ◽  
Kazuki Horikawa ◽  
Yusuke Hara ◽  
...  

AbstractElongated tubular endosomes play essential roles in diverse cellular functions. Multiple molecules have been implicated in tubulation of recycling endosomes, but the mechanism of endosomal tubule biogenesis has remained unclear. In this study, we found that JRAB/MICAL-L2 induces endosomal tubulation via activated Rab8A. In association with Rab8A, JRAB/MICAL-L2 adopts its closed form, which functions in the tubulation of recycling endosomes. Moreover, JRAB/MICAL-L2 induces liquid–liquid phase separation, initiating the formation of tubular recycling endosomes upon overexpression. Between its N-terminal and C-terminal globular domains, JRAB/MICAL-L2 contains an intrinsically disordered region, which contributes to the formation of JRAB/MICAL-L2 condensates. Based on our findings, we propose that JRAB/MICAL-L2 plays two sequential roles in the biogenesis of tubular recycling endosomes: first, JRAB/MICAL-L2 organizes phase separation, and then the closed form of JRAB/MICAL-L2 formed by interaction with Rab8A promotes endosomal tubulation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
A ◽  
Weber

Enclosed by two membranes, the nucleus itself is comprised of various membraneless compartments, including nuclear bodies and chromatin domains. These compartments play an important though still poorly understood role in gene regulation. Significant progress has been made in characterizing the dynamic behavior of nuclear compartments and liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has emerged as a prominent mechanism governing their assembly. However, recent work reveals that certain nuclear structures violate key predictions of LLPS, suggesting that alternative mechanisms likely contribute to nuclear organization. Here, we review the evidence for and against LLPS for several nuclear compartments and discuss experimental strategies to identify the mechanism(s) underlying their assembly. We propose that LLPS, together with multiple modes of protein-nucleic acid binding, drive spatiotemporal organization of the nucleus and facilitate functional diversity among nuclear compartments.


2021 ◽  
Vol 433 (2) ◽  
pp. 166731
Author(s):  
Yanxian Lin ◽  
Yann Fichou ◽  
Andrew P. Longhini ◽  
Luana C. Llanes ◽  
Pengyi Yin ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Yanting Xing ◽  
Aparna Nandakumar ◽  
Aleksandr Kakinen ◽  
Yunxiang Sun ◽  
Thomas P. Davis ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuki Murakami ◽  
Shinji Kajimoto ◽  
Daiki Shibata ◽  
Kunisato Kuroi ◽  
Fumihiko Fujii ◽  
...  

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) plays an important role in a variety of biological processes and is also associated with protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases. Quantification of LLPS is necessary to...


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Liu ◽  
Ying Xie ◽  
Jing Guo ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Jingjing Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractDevelopment of chemoresistance is the main reason for failure of clinical management of multiple myeloma (MM), but the genetic and epigenetic aberrations that interact to confer such chemoresistance remains unknown. In the present study, we find that high steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3) expression is correlated with relapse/refractory and poor outcomes in MM patients treated with bortezomib (BTZ)-based regimens. Furthermore, in immortalized cell lines, high SRC-3 enhances resistance to proteasome inhibitor (PI)-induced apoptosis. Overexpressed histone methyltransferase NSD2 in patients bearing a t(4;14) translocation or in BTZ-resistant MM cells coordinates elevated SRC-3 by enhancing its liquid–liquid phase separation to supranormally modify histone H3 lysine 36 dimethylation (H3K36me2) modifications on promoters of anti-apoptotic genes. Targeting SRC-3 or interference of its interactions with NSD2 using a newly developed inhibitor, SI-2, sensitizes BTZ treatment and overcomes drug resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings elucidate a previously unrecognized orchestration of SRC-3 and NSD2 in acquired drug resistance of MM and suggest that SI-2 may be efficacious for overcoming drug resistance in MM patients.


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