Phase Transition of a Disordered Nuage Protein Generates Environmentally Responsive Membraneless Organelles

Cells chemically isolate molecules in compartments to both facilitate and regulate their interactions. In addition to membrane-encapsulated compartments, cells can form proteinaceous and membraneless organelles, including nucleoli, Cajal and PML bodies, and stress granules. The principles that determine when and why these structures form have remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the disordered tails of Ddx4, a primary constituent of nuage or germ granules, form phase-separated organelles both in live cells and in vitro. These bodies are stabilized by patterned electrostatic interactions that are highly sensitive to temperature, ionic strength, arginine methylation, and splicing. Sequence determinants…

• HC
  Health Canada
• CI
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

  Award: BB/J014346/1