Publication Date:
2022-05-25
Description:
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2018. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of American Association for the Advancement of Science for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in American Association for the Advancement of Science 360 (2018): 922-927, doi:10.1126/science.aar7432.
Description:
RNA promotes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to build membrane-less compartments in
cells. How distinct molecular compositions are established and maintained in these liquid
compartments is unknown. Here we report that secondary structure allows mRNAs to self-associate
and determines if an mRNA is recruited to or excluded from liquid compartments. The
polyQ-protein Whi3 induces conformational changes in RNA structure and generates distinct
molecular fluctuations depending on the RNA sequence. These data support a model in which
structure-based, RNA-RNA interactions promote assembly of distinct droplets and protein-driven,
conformational dynamics of the RNA maintain this identity. Thus, the shape of RNA can promote
the formation and coexistence of the diverse array of RNA-rich liquid compartments found in a
single cell.
Description:
This work was supported by NIH GM R01-
GM081506, the HHMI Faculty Scholars program, R35 GM122532, ACS 130845-RSG-17-114-
01-RMC, NIH 1DP2 GM105453, and NIH R01 GM115631.
Repository Name:
Woods Hole Open Access Server
Type:
Preprint
