Repository logo
 

Thermodynamic origins of two-component multiphase condensates of proteins.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Collepardo-Guevara, Rosana 
Reinhardt, Aleks 

Abstract

Intracellular condensates are highly multi-component systems in which complex phase behaviour can ensue, including the formation of architectures comprising multiple immiscible condensed phases. Relying solely on physical intuition to manipulate such condensates is difficult because of the complexity of their composition, and systematically learning the underlying rules experimentally would be extremely costly. We address this challenge by developing a computational approach to design pairs of protein sequences that result in well-separated multilayered condensates and elucidate the molecular origins of these compartments. Our method couples a genetic algorithm to a residue-resolution coarse-grained protein model. We demonstrate that we can design protein partners to form multiphase condensates containing naturally occurring proteins, such as the low-complexity domain of hnRNPA1 and its mutants, and show how homo- and heterotypic interactions must differ between proteins to result in multiphasicity. We also show that in some cases the specific pattern of amino-acid residues plays an important role. Our findings have wide-ranging implications for understanding and controlling the organisation, functions and material properties of biomolecular condensates.

Description

Keywords

34 Chemical Sciences, 1.1 Normal biological development and functioning, 1 Underpinning research, Generic health relevance

Journal Title

Chem Sci

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2041-6520
2041-6539

Volume Title

14

Publisher

Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Sponsorship
European Research Council (803326)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P020259/1)
We acknowledge funding from the University of Cambridge Ernest Oppenheimer Fund [PYC], the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability [PYC, RC-G], the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [grant 803326; RC-G]. JAJ is a Junior Research Fellow at King’s College. This work was performed using resources provided by the Cambridge Tier-2 system operated by the University of Cambridge Research Computing Service funded by EPSRC Tier-2 capital grant EP/P020259/1 [RC-G, JAJ, AR].
Relationships
Is supplemented by:
Is derived from: