Now out in Physical Review E: doi.org/10.1103/n662...
We also find messing with FC size in a different way, by overexpressing TCOF1, leads to a defect in *processing* outside of FCs where 50% of the rRNA is simply not processed. We reproduce this quantitatively with a simplistic mean-first passage time analysis based on different FC arrangements. (5/6)
Big shoutout to joint first authors Salman F. Banani, Pradeep Natarajan, and Ming Zheng, as well as Haoran Wang, Giuseppe Dall'Agnese, Richard A. Young, Mehran Kardar, @jhenninger.bsky.social, and Arup K. Chakraborty. Really enjoyed the collaboration!
Experiments show that disrupting RNA synthesis messes with condensate size control so they coarsen (and can form nucleolar caps). The theory also predicts that disgesting RNA would also lead to loss of size control. Resuming transcription restores size control and patterning. (4/6)
This sets up effective self-repulsion of the condensate mediated by RNA and repulsion among condensates, leading to (i) size control and (ii) characteristic patterns due to maximizing separation. We show this by deriving a Lyapunov functional for the dynamical model. (3/6)
We simulate fibrillar centers (FCs) building on prior work on transcriptional condensates in the nucleus: the condensate phase separates, and mediates RNA synthesis. RNA diffuses away from the condensate to be further processed by binding enzymes. (2/6)
How are biomolecular condensates spatially organized? As example, we focus on fibrillar centers producing ribosomal RNA in the nucleolus. Disrupting this function disrupts their patterning, and disrupting patterning disrupts function. Out in Cell Systems: authors.elsevier.com/c/1nA3C8YyDf... (1/6)
Check out our new work in Cell Systems @cp-cellsystems.bsky.social! Much of the biochemistry in the cell is organized by biomolecular condensates, but what mechanisms control the distribution of a given condensate throughout the cell? And is this mesoscale organization important for function?
Andriy Goychuk
Andriy Goychuk
Andriy Goychuk
See our handy graphical abstract and article for free here:
bit.ly/4vsl845
