Biomolecular condensates create phospholipid-enriched microenvironments.

Proteins and RNA can phase separate from the aqueous cellular environment to form subcellular compartments called condensates. This process results in a protein-RNA mixture that is chemically different from the surrounding aqueous phase. Here, we use mass spectrometry to characterize the metabolomes of condensates.

Defining the location of promoter-associated R-loops at near-nucleotide resolution using bisDRIP-seq.

R-loops are features of chromatin consisting of a strand of DNA hybridized to RNA, as well as the expelled complementary DNA strand. R-loops are enriched at promoters where they have recently been shown to have important roles in modifying gene expression. However, the location of promoter-associated R-loops and the genomic domains they perturb to modify gene expression remain unclear.

A Smaug2-Based Translational Repression Complex Determines the Balance between Precursor Maintenance versus Differentiation during Mammalian Neurogenesis.

Unlabelled: Here, we have asked about post-transcriptional mechanisms regulating murine developmental neurogenesis, focusing upon the RNA-binding proteins Smaug2 and Nanos1. We identify, in embryonic neural precursors of the murine cortex, a Smaug2 protein/nanos1 mRNA complex that is present in cytoplasmic granules with the translational repression proteins Dcp1 and 4E-T. We show that Smaug2 inhibits and Nanos1 promotes neurogenesis, with Smaug2 knockdown enhancing neurogenesis and depleting precursors, and Nanos1 knockdown inhibiting neurogenesis and maintaining precursors.

Global regulation of mRNA translation and stability in the early Drosophila embryo by the Smaug RNA-binding protein.

Background: Smaug is an RNA-binding protein that induces the degradation and represses the translation of mRNAs in the early Drosophila embryo. Smaug has two identified direct target mRNAs that it differentially regulates: nanos and Hsp83. Smaug represses the translation of nanos mRNA but has only a modest effect on its stability, whereas it destabilizes Hsp83 mRNA but has no detectable effect on Hsp83 translation.