How Hierarchical Interactions Make Membraneless Organelles Tick Like Clockwork.
Trends Biochem Sci
; 46(7): 525-534, 2021 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33483232
ABSTRACT
Biomolecular condensates appear throughout the cell, serving many different biochemical functions. We argue that condensate functionality is optimized when the interactions driving condensation vary widely in affinity. Strong interactions provide structural specificity needed to encode functional properties but carry the risk of kinetic arrest, while weak interactions allow the system to remain dynamic but do not restrict the conformational ensemble enough to sustain specific functional features. To support our opinion, we describe illustrative examples of the interplay of strong and weak interactions that are found in the nucleolus, SPOP/DAXX condensates, polySUMO/polySIM condensates, chromatin, and stress granules. The common feature of these systems is a hierarchical assembly motif in which weak, transient interactions condense structurally defined functional units.
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MEDLINE
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Carrapatos
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Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article