Gao Guoming, Sumrall Emily R, Walter Nils G
Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Res Sq. 2025 Apr 14:rs.3.rs-6406576. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6406576/v1.
Biomolecular condensates regulate cellular physiology by sequestering and processing RNAs and proteins, yet how these processes are locally tuned within condensates remains unclear. Moreover, in neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), condensates undergo liquid-to-solid phase transitions, but capturing early intermediates in this process has been challenging. Here, we present a surface multi-tethering approach to achieve intra-condensate single-molecule tracking of fluorescently labeled RNA and protein molecules within liquid-like condensates. Using RNA-binding protein Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) as a model for condensates implicated in ALS, we discover that RNA and protein diffusion is confined within distinct nanometer-scale domains, or nanodomains, which exhibit unique connectivity and chemical environments. During condensate aging, these nanodomains reposition, facilitating FUS fibrilization at the condensate surface, a transition enhanced by FDA-approved ALS drugs. Our findings demonstrate that nanodomain formation governs condensate function by modulating biomolecule sequestration and percolation, offering insights into condensate aging and disease-related transitions.
生物分子凝聚物通过隔离和处理RNA及蛋白质来调节细胞生理,但这些过程如何在凝聚物内部进行局部调控仍不清楚。此外,在诸如肌萎缩侧索硬化症(ALS)等神经退行性疾病中,凝聚物会经历从液态到固态的相变,但在此过程中捕获早期中间体一直具有挑战性。在此,我们提出一种表面多系留方法,以实现对液态凝聚物中荧光标记的RNA和蛋白质分子进行凝聚物内单分子追踪。以与肉瘤融合的RNA结合蛋白(FUS)作为与ALS相关的凝聚物模型,我们发现RNA和蛋白质扩散被限制在不同的纳米尺度区域,即纳米域内,这些纳米域具有独特的连通性和化学环境。在凝聚物老化过程中,这些纳米域重新定位,促进凝聚物表面的FUS纤维化,这一转变因FDA批准的ALS药物而增强。我们的研究结果表明,纳米域的形成通过调节生物分子的隔离和渗透来控制凝聚物功能,为凝聚物老化和疾病相关转变提供了见解。