skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Spatial Chemoproteomics for Mapping the Active Proteome
Abstract Functional regulation of cell signaling through dynamic changes in protein activity state as well as spatial organization represent two dynamic, complex, and conserved phenomena in biology. Seemingly separate areas of ‐omics method development have focused on building tools that can detect and quantify protein activity states, as well as map sub‐cellular and intercellular protein organization. Integration of these efforts, through the development of chemical tools and platforms that enable detection and quantification of protein functional states with spatial resolution provide opportunities to better understand heterogeneity in the proteome within cell organelles, multi‐cellular tissues, and whole organisms. This review provides an overview of and considerations for major classes of chemical proteomic probes and technologies that enable protein activity mapping from sub‐cellular compartments to live animals.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1945442
PAR ID:
10419286
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Israel Journal of Chemistry
Volume:
63
Issue:
3-4
ISSN:
0021-2148
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. A properly organized subcellular composition is essential to cell function. The canonical organizing principle within eukaryotic cells involves membrane-bound organelles; yet, such structures do not fully explain cellular complexity. Furthermore, discrete non-membrane-bound structures have been known for over a century. Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) has emerged as a ubiquitous mode of cellular organization without the need for formal lipid membranes, with an ever-expanding and diverse list of cellular functions that appear to be regulated by this process. In comparison to traditional organelles, LLPS can occur across wider spatial and temporal scales and involves more distinct protein and RNA complexes. In this review, we discuss the impacts of LLPS on the organization of stem cells and their function during development. Specifically, the roles of LLPS in developmental signaling pathways, chromatin organization, and gene expression will be detailed, as well as its impacts on essential processes of asymmetric cell division. We will also discuss how the dynamic and regulated nature of LLPS may afford stem cells an adaptable mode of organization throughout the developmental time to control cell fate. Finally, we will discuss how aberrant LLPS in these processes may contribute to developmental defects and disease. 
    more » « less
  2. Komeili, Arash (Ed.)
    ABSTRACT The bacterial nucleoid is not just a genetic repository—it serves as a dynamic scaffold for spatially organizing key cellular components. ParA-family ATPases exploit this nucleoid matrix to position a wide range of cargos, yet how nucleoid compaction influences these positioning reactions remains poorly understood. We previously characterized the maintenance of carboxysome distribution (Mcd) system in the cyanobacteriumSynechococcus elongatusPCC 7942, where the ParA-like ATPase McdA binds the nucleoid and interacts with its partner protein, McdB, to generate dynamic gradients that distribute carboxysomes for optimal carbon fixation. Here, we investigate how nucleoid compaction impacts carboxysome positioning, particularly during metabolic dormancy when McdAB activity is downregulated. We demonstrate that a compacted nucleoid maintains carboxysome organization in the absence of active McdAB-driven positioning. This finding reveals that the nucleoid is not merely a passive matrix for positioning but a dynamic player in spatial organization. Given the widespread role of ParA-family ATPases in the positioning of diverse cellular cargos, our study suggests that the nucleoid compaction state is a fundamental, yet underappreciated, determinant of mesoscale organization across bacteria. IMPORTANCEBacteria can organize their internal components in specific patterns to ensure proper function and faithful inheritance after cell division. In the cyanobacteriumSynechococcus elongatus, protein-based compartments called carboxysomes fix carbon dioxide and are distributed in the cell by a two-protein positioning system. Here, we discovered that when cells stop growing or face stress, these positioning proteins stop working, yet carboxysomes remain distributed in the cell. Our study shows that the bacterial chromosome, which holds genetic information, can also act as a flexible scaffold that holds carboxysomes in place when compacted. This insight reveals that the bacterial chromosome plays a key physical role in organizing the cell. Similar positioning systems are found across many types of bacteria; therefore, our findings suggest that nucleoid compaction may be a universal and underappreciated factor in maintaining spatial order in cells that are not actively growing. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract The biochemical and biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) play a pivotal role in regulating cellular behaviors such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Engineered protein‐based hydrogels, with highly tunable multifunctional properties, have the potential to replicate key features of the native ECM. Formed by self‐assembly or crosslinking, engineered protein‐based hydrogels can induce a range of cell behaviors through bioactive and functional domains incorporated into the polymer backbone. Using recombinant techniques, the amino acid sequence of the protein backbone can be designed with precise control over the chain‐length, folded structure, and cell‐interaction sites. In this review, the modular design of engineered protein‐based hydrogels from both a molecular‐ and network‐level perspective are discussed, and summarize recent progress and case studies to highlight the diverse strategies used to construct biomimetic scaffolds. This review focuses on amino acid sequences that form structural blocks, bioactive blocks, and stimuli‐responsive blocks designed into the protein backbone for highly precise and tunable control of scaffold properties. Both physical and chemical methods to stabilize dynamic protein networks with defined structure and bioactivity for cell culture applications are discussed. Finally, a discussion of future directions of engineered protein‐based hydrogels as biomimetic cellular scaffolds is concluded. 
    more » « less
  4. Abstract Optogenetic tools are created to control RhoA GTPase, a central regulator of actin organization and actomyosin contractility. RhoA GTPase, or its upstream activator ARHGEF11, is fused to BcLOV4, a photoreceptor that can be dynamically recruited to the plasma membrane by a light‐regulated protein‐lipid electrostatic interaction with the inner leaflet. Direct membrane recruitment of these proteins induces potent contractile signaling sufficient to separate adherens junctions with as little as one pulse of blue light. Induced cytoskeletal morphology changes are dependent on the alignment of the spatially patterned stimulation with the underlying cell polarization. RhoA‐mediated cytoskeletal activation drives yes‐associated protein (YAP) nuclear localization within minutes and consequent mechanotransduction verified by YAP‐transcriptional enhanced associate domain transcriptional activity. These single‐transgene tools do not require protein binding partners for dynamic membrane localization and permit spatiotemporally precise control over RhoA signaling to advance the study of its diverse regulatory roles in cell migration, morphogenesis, and cell cycle maintenance. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract Strategies that mimic the spatial complexity of natural tissues can provide cellular scaffolds to probe fundamental questions in cell biology and offer new materials for regenerative medicine. Here, the authors demonstrate a light‐guided patterning platform that uses natural engineered extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins as a substrate to program cellular behaviors. A photocaged diene which undergoes Diels–Alder‐based click chemistry upon uncaging with 365 nm light is utilized. By interfacing with commercially available maleimide dienophiles, patterning of common ECM proteins (collagen, fibronectin Matrigel, laminin) with readily purchased functional small molecules and growth factors is achieved. Finally, the use of this platform to spatially control ERK activity and migration in mammalian cells is highlighted, demonstrating programmable cell behavior through patterned chemical modification of natural ECM. 
    more » « less