Emergent properties of melanin-inspired peptide/RNA condensates.
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jg. 120 (2023-10-31), Heft 44, S. e2310569120
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Zugriff:
Most biocatalytic processes in eukaryotic cells are regulated by subcellular microenvironments such as membrane-bound or membraneless organelles. These natural compartmentalization systems have inspired the design of synthetic compartments composed of a variety of building blocks. Recently, the emerging field of liquid-liquid phase separation has facilitated the design of biomolecular condensates composed of proteins and nucleic acids, with controllable properties including polarity, diffusivity, surface tension, and encapsulation efficiency. However, utilizing phase-separated condensates as optical sensors has not yet been attempted. Here, we were inspired by the biosynthesis of melanin pigments, a key biocatalytic process that is regulated by compartmentalization in organelles, to design minimalistic biomolecular condensates with emergent optical properties. Melanins are ubiquitous pigment materials with a range of functionalities including photoprotection, coloration, and free radical scavenging activity. Their biosynthesis in the confined melanosomes involves oxidation-polymerization of tyrosine (Tyr), catalyzed by the enzyme tyrosinase. We have now developed condensates that are formed by an interaction between a Tyr-containing peptide and RNA and can serve as both microreactors and substrates for tyrosinase. Importantly, partitioning of Tyr into the condensates and subsequent oxidation-polymerization gives rise to unique optical properties including far-red fluorescence. We now demonstrate that individual condensates can serve as sensors to detect tyrosinase activity, with a limit of detection similar to that of synthetic fluorescent probes. This approach opens opportunities to utilize designer biomolecular condensates as diagnostic tools for various disorders involving abnormal enzymatic activity.
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Emergent properties of melanin-inspired peptide/RNA condensates.
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Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | Netzer, A ; Katzir, I ; Baruch Leshem, A ; Weitman, M ; Lampel, A |
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Zeitschrift: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jg. 120 (2023-10-31), Heft 44, S. e2310569120 |
Veröffentlichung: | Washington, DC : National Academy of Sciences, 2023 |
Medientyp: | academicJournal |
ISSN: | 1091-6490 (electronic) |
DOI: | 10.1073/pnas.2310569120 |
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