Spatial patterning of P granules by RNA-induced phase separation of the intrinsically-disordered protein MEG-3

eLife

Dominique Rasoloson¹  Tu Lu¹  Geraldine Seydoux¹  Jarrett Smith¹  Deepika Calidas¹  Helen Schmidt¹ 

[1] Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States;

关键词: RNA granules;    P granules;    phase separation;    MEX-5;    MEG-3;    germline;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.21337

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

RNA granules are non-membrane bound cellular compartments that contain RNA and RNA binding proteins. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the spatial distribution of RNA granules in cells are poorly understood. During polarization of the C. elegans zygote, germline RNA granules, called P granules, assemble preferentially in the posterior cytoplasm. We present evidence that P granule asymmetry depends on RNA-induced phase separation of the granule scaffold MEG-3. MEG-3 is an intrinsically disordered protein that binds and phase separates with RNA in vitro. In vivo, MEG-3 forms a posterior-rich concentration gradient that is anti-correlated with a gradient in the RNA-binding protein MEX-5. MEX-5 is necessary and sufficient to suppress MEG-3 granule formation in vivo, and suppresses RNA-induced MEG-3 phase separation in vitro. Our findings suggest that MEX-5 interferes with MEG-3’s access to RNA, thus locally suppressing MEG-3 phase separation to drive P granule asymmetry. Regulated access to RNA, combined with RNA-induced phase separation of key scaffolding proteins, may be a general mechanism for controlling the formation of RNA granules in space and time.

【 授权许可】

Unknown