Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) can form biomolecular condensates through phase separation. It is recognized that the conformation of IDPs in the dense and dilute phases, as well as at the interfaces of condensates, can critically impact their functionality. However, a residue-level understanding of the conformational transitions of IDPs during condensation remains elusive. In this study, we employ a coarse-grained polyampholyte model, comprising an equal number of oppositely charged residues-glutamic acid and lysine-whereby conformations and phase behavior can be tuned by altering the protein sequence. By manipulating sequence patterns from perfectly alternating to block-like, we obtain chains with ideal-like conformations to semi-compact structures in the dilute phase. In the dense phase, however, the chain conformation approaches that of an ideal chain, regardless of the sequence. Simulations across different concentrations reveal that chains transition from small oligomeric clusters in the dilute phase to the dense phase, with a gradual swelling of individual chains. These findings are further validated with naturally occurring protein sequences involved in biological condensate formation. Additionally, we show that chain conformations at the interface display a strong sequence dependence, remaining more collapsed than those in the bulk-like dense phase. This study provides detailed insights into how the conformations of a specific subclass of IDPs (lacking secondary structures) change within condensates and in solution, as governed by their sequences.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d4sc05004e | DOI Listing |
Food Chem
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resource, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:
In this study, pea protein isolate (PPI) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions, and the effects of pH and the oil content on the properties of the emulsions were investigated. The microstructural analysis revealed that PPI and CNC formed complexes by electrostatic attraction at pH 3.0 and 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Fiber Manufacturing Technology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, PR China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, PR China; China Light Industry Key Laboratory of Papermaking and Biorefinery, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, PR China. Electronic address:
Environmental issues arising from the low pesticide utilization rate make the development of environmentally friendly and low-cost pesticide carrier systems an urgent problem to be solved. Pickering emulsion systems have shown broad application prospects in pesticide delivery. In this study, dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DDSA) was used to hydrophobically modify cellulose nanofiber (D-CNF), and biomimetic flower-like zinc oxide (ZnO) particles were prepared by precipitation method at room temperature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethods Mol Biol
December 2024
Gene Center, Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
The formation of biomolecular condensates in vitro and in vivo has become an increasingly important subject of studies. One particular area of interest is the phase separation of chromatin in the nucleus. However, the interplay of condensed chromatin and chromatin-binding enzymes has barely been studied as of now.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Xray Sci Technol
December 2024
Henan Key Laboratory of Imaging and Intelligent Processing, Information Engineering University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Background: Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) is an important lens-free imaging method. As a variant of CDI, ptychography enables the imaging of objects with arbitrary lateral sizes. However, traditional phase retrieval methods are time-consuming for ptychographic imaging of large-size objects, e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMacromol Rapid Commun
December 2024
Eye Center, Affiliated Second Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm)-based smart hydrogels are widely employed in emerging applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering, because their lower critical solution temperature (LCST) is close to physiological conditions. However, the dense chain collapse during the thermo-responsive phase transition restricts water diffusion, resulting in limited volumetric change. Here, a pure PNIPAm hydrogel that achieves a large-scale volume transition by incorporating PNIPAm microgels, is presented.
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