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Abstract Phase separation (PS) of biomolecular condensates is often assumed to be driven by interactions involving nucleic acids and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins. PGL-3 is a component of P granules, biomolecular condensates inC. elegans, that contains two structured domains (D1-D2), an internal IDR, and a C-terminal IDR rich in RGG motifs. Theoretical and in vitro studies implicated the internal IDR and RGG motifs in driving PGL-3 PS via self-interactions and binding to RNA. Studies in cells, however, implicated the D1 and D2 domains. Here, we investigate the molecular basis of PGL-3 PS in vitro using microscopy, crosslinking mass spectrometry, and biophysical measurements. We find that D1-D2 forms oligomers and is necessary and sufficient for PS. The terminal RGG region interacts with D1-D2 in a manner that enhances PS even in the absence of RNA. In contrast, the internal IDR is neither necessary nor sufficient for PS. These findings support an alternative model for PGL-3 PS that does not require RNA and is driven by oligomerization of structured domains that interact with RGG repeats. 

Abstract Many proteins require molecular chaperones to fold into their functional native forms. However, the roles of chaperones during primary biogenesis in vivo can differ from the functions they play during in vitro refolding experiments. Here, we use limited proteolysis mass spectrometry (LiP-MS) to probe structural changes incurred by theE. coliproteome when two key chaperones, trigger factor and DnaKJ, are deleted. While knocking out DnaKJ induces pervasive structural perturbations across the solubleE. coliproteome, trigger factor deletion only impacts a small number of proteins’ structures. Overall, proteins which cannot spontaneously refold (or require chaperones to refold in vitro) arenotmore likely to be dependent on chaperones to fold in vivo. We find that chaperone-nonrefolders (proteins that cannot refold even with chaperone assistance) do not generally require chaperones to fold in vivo, strengthening the view that chaperone-nonrefolders are obligate co-translational folders. Hence, for someE. coliproteins, the vectorial nature of co-translational folding is the most important “chaperone”. 

ABSTRACT Oxidative stress induces a wide range of cellular damage, often causing disease and cell death. While many organisms are susceptible to the effects of oxidative stress, haloarchaea have adapted to be highly resistant. Several aspects of the haloarchaeal oxidative stress response have been characterized; however, little is known about the impacts of oxidative stress at the translation level. Using the model archaeonHaloferax volcanii, we performed RNA-seq and ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) to characterize the global translation landscape during oxidative stress. We identified 281 genes with differential translation efficiency (TE). Downregulated genes were enriched in ribosomal and translation proteins, in addition to peroxidases and genes involved in the TCA cycle. We also identified 42 small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) with ribosome occupancy. Size distributions of ribosome footprints revealed distinct patterns for coding and noncoding genes, with 12 sRNAs matching the pattern of coding genes, and mass spectrometry confirming the presence of seven small proteins encoded by these sRNAs. However, the majority of sRNAs with ribosome occupancy had no evidence of coding potential. Of these ribosome-associated sRNAs, 12 had differential ribosome occupancy or TE during oxidative stress, suggesting that they may play a regulatory role during the oxidative stress response. Our findings on ribosomal regulation during oxidative stress, coupled with potential roles for ribosome-associated noncoding sRNAs and sRNA-derived small proteins inH. volcanii, revealed additional regulatory layers and underscored the multifaceted architecture of stress-responsive regulatory networks.IMPORTANCEArchaea are found in diverse environments, including as members of the human microbiome, and are known to play essential ecological roles in major geochemical cycles. The study of archaeal biology has expanded our understanding of the evolution of eukaryotes, uncovered novel biological systems, and revealed new opportunities for applications in biotechnology and bioremediation. Many archaeal systems, however, remain poorly characterized. UsingHaloferax volcaniias a model, we investigated the global translation landscape during oxidative stress. Our findings expand current knowledge of translational regulation in archaea and further illustrate the complexity of stress-responsive gene regulation. 

Abstract Monoubiquitinated histone H2B at K123 in yeast (K120 in humans) is a transient modification that is both attached and removed during transcription. H2B is ubiquitinated in yeast by the E2/E3 pair, Rad6/Bre1, and deubiquitinated by two enzymes, Ubp8 and Ubp10. Previous studies had shown that Ubp10 has higher activity on ubiquitinated H2A/H2B dimers than on intact nucleosomes, but that activity on nucleosomes is higher in the presence of the histone chaperone, FACT. By contrast, the Ubp8 complex has equal activity on both histone substrates and is unaffected by FACT. We report here the results of single‐molecule FRET experiments showing that FACT unwraps DNA and evicts ubiquitinated H2A/H2B dimers, the preferred substrate of Ubp10. To explore the basis for the differing activity of Ubp10 on ubiquitinated H2A/H2B dimers and nucleosomes, we employed crosslinking mass spectrometry combined with structural modeling. These studies revealed that Ubp10 forms a different set of interactions with H2A/H2B in free versus nucleosomal states. Acidic stretches within the N‐terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of Ubp10 interact extensively with H2A/H2B heterodimers, whereas this portion of Ubp10 interacts more with the tails of histones H3 and H4 in the nucleosome. The importance of these interactions for affinity is consistent with binding studies showing the IDR is necessary for substrate interactions. Structural modeling using the crosslinks as constraints suggests that the complex formed by Ubp10 with free H2A/H2B dimers could not be formed within a nucleosome due to steric clash with the DNA, H3, and H4, thereby explaining its low activity on ubiquitinated nucleosomes. 

Abstract Protein‐based biomaterials have played a key role in tissue engineering, and additional exciting applications as self‐healing materials and sustainable polymers are emerging. Over the past few decades, recombinant expression and production of various fibrous proteins from microbes have been demonstrated; however, the resulting proteins typically must then be purified and processed by humans to form usable fibers and materials. Here, we show that the Gram‐positive bacteriumBacillus subtiliscan be programmed to secrete silk through its translocon via an orthogonal signal peptide/peptidase pair. Surprisingly, we discover that this translocation mechanism drives the silk proteins to assemble into fibers spontaneously on the cell surface, in a process we call secretion‐catalyzed assembly (SCA). Secreted silk fibers form self‐healing hydrogels with minimal processing. Alternatively, the fibers retained on the membrane provide a facile route to create engineered living materials fromBacilluscells. This work provides a blueprint to achieve autonomous assembly of protein biomaterials in useful morphologies directly from microbial factories. 

Cellular desiccation—the loss of nearly all water from the cell—is a recurring stress that drives widespread protein dysfunction. To survive, part of the proteome must resume function upon rehydration. Which proteins tolerate desiccation, and the molecular determinants that underlie this tolerance, are largely unknown. Here, we use quantitative mass spectrometry and structural proteomics to show that certain proteins possess an innate capacity to tolerate extreme water loss. Structural analyses point to protein surface chemistry as a key determinant of desiccation tolerance, which we test by showing that rational surface mutants can convert a desiccation-sensitive protein into a tolerant one. We also find that highly tolerant proteins are responsible for the production of small-molecule building blocks, while intolerant proteins are involved in energy-consuming processes such as ribosome biogenesis. We propose that this functional bias enables cells to kickstart their metabolism and promote cell survival following desiccation and rehydration. A record of this paper’s transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information. 

Several mechanisms are known to cause monomeric protein misfolding. Coarse-grained simulations have predicted an additional mechanism exists involving off-pathway, noncovalent lasso entanglements, which are long-lived kinetic traps and structurally resemble the native state. Here, we examine whether such misfolded states occur in long-timescale, all-atom folding simulations of ubiquitin and λ-repressor. We find that these entangled misfolded states are populated in higher-resolution models. However, because of the small size of ubiquitin and λ-repressor, these states are short-lived. In contrast, coarse-grained simulations of a larger protein, IspE, predict that it populates long-lived misfolded states. Using an Arrhenius extrapolation applied to all-atom simulations, we estimate that these IspE misfolded states have lifetimes similar to the native state while remaining soluble. We further show that these misfolded states are consistent with the structural changes inferred from limited proteolysis and cross-linking mass spectrometry experiments. Our results indicate that misfolded states composed of non-native entanglements can persist for long timescales in both all-atom simulations and experiments. 

Cognitive decline during aging represents a major societal burden, causing both personal and economic hardship in an increasingly aging population. Many studies have found that the proteostasis network, which functions to keep proteins properly folded, is impaired with age, suggesting that there may be many proteins that incur structural alterations with age. Here, we used limited proteolysis mass spectrometry, a structural proteomic method, to globally interrogate protein conformational changes in a rat model of cognitive aging. Specifically, we compared soluble hippocampal proteins from aged rats with preserved cognition to those from aged rats with impaired cognition. We identified a couple hundred proteins as having undergone cognition-associated structural changes (CASCs). We report that CASC proteins are substantially more likely to be nonrefoldable than non-CASC proteins, meaning that they typically cannot spontaneously refold to their native conformations after being chemically denatured. These findings suggest that noncovalent, conformational alterations may be general features in cognitive decline.