Order through disorder: The role of intrinsically disordered regions in transcription factor binding specificity

'Intelligent' proteins

We present an idea of protein molecules that challenges the traditional view of proteins as simple molecular machines and suggests instead that they exhibit a basic form of "intelligence". The idea stems from suggestions coming from Integrated Information Theory (IIT), network theory, and allostery to explore how proteins process information, adapt to their environment, and even show memory-like behaviors. We define protein intelligence using IIT and focus on how proteins integrate information (in terms of the parameter Φ coming from IIT) and balance their core (stable, ordered regions) and periphery (flexible, disordered regions). This balance allows proteins to remain stable while adapting to changes and operating in a critical state where order and disorder coexist. We summarize recent findings on conformational memory, allosteric regulation, protein intrinsic disorder, liquid-liquid phase separation, and critical transitions, and compare protein behavior to other complex systems like ecosystems and neural networks. While our perspective offers a unified framework to understand proteins, it also raises questions about applying intelligence concepts to molecular systems. We discuss how this understanding could advance protein engineering, drug design, and synthetic biology, while at the same time acknowledging the challenges of creating adaptive, "intelligent" proteins. This concept bridges the gap between mechanistic and systems-level views of proteins and offers a comprehensive understanding of their dynamic and adaptive nature. We have tried to redefine the traditionally metaphorical concept of "intelligence" in biochemistry as a measurable property while simultaneously establishing the material foundation of protein intelligence through the identification of fundamental elements such as memory and learning in molecular systems.

Engineering Protein-Polyelectrolyte Interactions for Cellular Applications

Protein-polyelectrolyte interactions are fundamental interactions in biology that occur at every length scale, from protein-DNA complexes to phase-separated organelles. They drive processes ranging from gene transcription and DNA synthesis to viral assembly. Protein engineering is a powerful way to modulate these interactions, both to probe endogenous function and to engineer novel interactions between species. In this review, we consider the various noncovalent interactions that govern the formation and behavior of these complexes, and we discuss how protein modifications such as changes to structure, charge, and charge patterning affect them. We highlight recent examples where engineering changes to protein-polyelectrolyte interactions have helped elucidate biological function, and we then focus on recent efforts toward de novo material design of synthetic biomolecular condensates and functional nanoassemblies.

Intrinsically disordered regions as facilitators of the transcription factor target search

Transcription factors (TFs) contribute to organismal development and function by regulating gene expression. Despite decades of research, the factors determining the specificity and speed at which eukaryotic TFs detect their target binding sites remain poorly understood. Recent studies have pointed to intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) within TFs as key regulators of the process by which TFs find their target sites on DNA (the TF target search). However, IDRs are challenging to study because they can confer specificity despite low sequence complexity and can be functionally conserved despite rapid sequence divergence. Nevertheless, emerging computational and experimental approaches are beginning to elucidate the sequence-function relationship within the IDRs of TFs. Additional insights are informing potential mechanisms underlying the IDR-directed search for the DNA targets of TFs, including incorporation into biomolecular condensates, facilitating TF co-localization, and the hypothesis that IDRs recognize and directly interact with specific genomic regions.

Discovery and Characterization of Actinosynnelassin: An Anti-Pseudomonas fluorescens Lasso Peptide Derived from a Large Precursor Open Reading Frame

Lasso peptides, a unique class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP), are challenging to synthesize chemically, making the discovery of new peptides and their biosynthetic pathways essential. This study reports the discovery and characterization of a novel lasso peptide, actinosynnelassin, from Actinosynnema pretiosum subsp. auranticum DSM 44131. By overexpressing an endogenous TetR/AcrR family regulator and employing OSMAC (One Strain Many Compounds)-guided fermentation screening, several endogenous secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) were activated, resulting in the isolation of actinosynnelassin. The 3D structure of actinosynnelassin, confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) NOE-derived distance constraints, features a 9-aa macrolactam ring, a 6-aa loop, and a 2-aa tail, with the ring encircling the tail between three aromatic bulkier residues. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests indicate that actinosynnelassin inhibits several Gram-positive bacteria and Pseudomonas fluorescens, making it the first reported lasso peptide to inhibit P. fluorescens. The predicted open reading frame (ORF) of the precursor peptide may be translated into a 331-aa fusion protein featuring an N-terminal AraC/XylS family transcriptional regulator, making it longer than typical lasso precursors. Thus, discovering this large precursor ORF enhances our understanding of lasso peptide BGCs with unusual architectures and enables the finding of other unique lasso peptides.

Phase Separation: Orchestrating Biological Adaptations to Environmental Fluctuations

Organisms have evolved various protective mechanisms to survive in complex and dynamic environments. Phase separation is a ubiquitous mechanism in plants, animals, and microorganisms. It facilitates the aggregation of biomolecules through weak interactions, forming membrane-less organelles that help organisms respond effectively to stress signals. These biomolecular condensates include DNA, RNA, and proteins. Proteins are categorized into scaffold and client proteins, whose coordinated actions ensure the compartmentalization of cellular signals, thereby regulating various biological processes. Studies indicate that, in response to stress, phase separation modulates gene expression, signal transduction, cytoskeleton dynamics, and protein homeostasis, ensuring the precise spatiotemporal control of cellular functions. These insights underscore the crucial role of phase separation in maintaining cellular integrity and adaptability.

Mechanisms for DNA Interplay in Eukaryotic Transcription Factors

Like their prokaryotic counterparts, eukaryotic transcription factors must recognize specific DNA sites, search for them efficiently, and bind to them to help recruit or block the transcription machinery. For eukaryotic factors, however, the genetic signals are extremely complex and scattered over vast, multichromosome genomes, while the DNA interplay occurs in a varying landscape defined by chromatin remodeling events and epigenetic modifications. Eukaryotic factors are rich in intrinsically disordered regions and are also distinct in their recognition of short DNA motifs and utilization of open DNA interaction interfaces as ways to gain access to DNA on nucleosomes. Recent findings are revealing the profound, unforeseen implications of such characteristics for the mechanisms of DNA interplay. In this review we discuss these implications and how they are shaping the eukaryotic transcription control paradigm into one of promiscuous signal recognition, highly dynamic interactions, heterogeneous DNA scanning, and multiprong conformational control.

Engineered Peptide Coacervates Enable Efficient Intracellular Delivery of the MYC Inhibitor omoMYC

Intracellular delivery is a bottleneck in the development of therapeutic peptides and proteins. Here, we demonstrate the efficient delivery of omoMYC, the first MYC inhibitor in clinical trials, using HBpep-SP, an engineered peptide forming liquid-liquid phase-separated coacervates. HBpep-SP coacervates facilitate efficient cellular uptake and intracellular delivery of the omoMYC peptide at concentrations lower than those required for spontaneous uptake. Strikingly, omoMYC coacervates result in reduced proliferation and apoptosis induction in the low c-MYC expressing cell lines HEK293 and SH-SY5Y cells, but not in HeLa and SK-N-BE(2) cells with high c-MYC/MYCN expression, respectively, suggesting that endogenous MYC/N levels may impact the effects of omoMYC. Importantly, our approach bypasses the need for cell penetration-enhancing chemical modifications, offering a novel strategy for the investigation of peptide drug mechanisms in therapeutic development.

Widespread variation in molecular interactions and regulatory properties among transcription factor isoforms

Most human transcription factor (TF) genes encode multiple protein isoforms differing in DNA-binding domains, effector domains, or other protein regions. The global extent to which this results in functional differences between isoforms remains unknown. Here, we systematically compared 693 isoforms of 246 TF genes, assessing DNA binding, protein binding, transcriptional activation, subcellular localization, and condensate formation. Relative to reference isoforms, two-thirds of alternative TF isoforms exhibit differences in one or more molecular activities, which often could not be predicted from sequence. We observed two primary categories of alternative TF isoforms: "rewirers" and "negative regulators," both of which were associated with differentiation and cancer. Our results support a model wherein the relative expression levels of, and interactions involving, TF isoforms add an understudied layer of complexity to gene regulatory networks, demonstrating the importance of isoform-aware characterization of TF functions and providing a rich resource for further studies.

Martini3-IDP: improved Martini 3 force field for disordered proteins

Coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) is widely used for the efficient simulation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). The Martini model, one of the most popular CG force fields in biomolecular simulation, was reported to yield too compact IDP conformations, limiting its applications. Addressing this, we optimized the bonded parameters based on fitting to reference simulations of a diverse set of IDPs at atomistic resolution, resulting in a Martini3-based disordered protein model coined Martini3-IDP. This model leads to expanded IDP conformations, greatly improving the reproduction of the experimentally measured radii of gyration. Moreover, contrary to ad-hoc fixes based on scaling of protein-protein or protein-water interactions, Martini3-IDP keeps the overall interaction balance underlying Martini 3. To validate that, we perform a comprehensive testing including full-length multidomain proteins, IDP-lipid membrane binding and IDP-small molecule binding, confirming its ability to successfully capture the complex interplay between disordered proteins and diverse biomolecular components. Finally, the recently emerging concept of biomolecular condensate, through liquid-liquid phase separation, was also reproduced by Martini3-IDP for a number of both homotypic and heterotypic systems. With the improved Martini3-IDP model, we expand the ability to simulate processes involving IDPs in complex environments, at spatio-temporal scales inaccessible with all-atom models.

Both the transcriptional activator, Bcd, and repressor, Cic, form small mobile oligomeric clusters

Transcription factors play an essential role in pattern formation during early embryo development, generating a strikingly fast and precise transcriptional response that results in sharp gene expression boundaries. To characterize the steps leading up to transcription, we performed a side-by-side comparison of the nuclear dynamics of two morphogens, a transcriptional activator, Bicoid (Bcd), and a transcriptional repressor, Capicua (Cic), both involved in body patterning along the anterior-posterior axis of the early Drosophila embryo. We used a combination of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and single-particle tracking to access a wide range of dynamical timescales. Despite their opposite effects on gene transcription, we find that Bcd and Cic have very similar nuclear dynamics, characterized by the coexistence of a freely diffusing monomer population with a number of oligomeric clusters, which range from low stoichiometry and high mobility clusters to larger, DNA-bound hubs. Our observations are consistent with the inclusion of both Bcd and Cic into transcriptional hubs or condensates, while putting constraints on the mechanism by which these form. These results fit in with the recent proposal that many transcription factors might share a common search strategy for target gene regulatory regions that makes use of their large unstructured regions, and may eventually help explain how the transcriptional response they elicit can be at the same time so fast and so precise.

Boosting transcriptional activities by employing repeated activation domains in transcription factors

Enhancing the transcriptional activation activity of transcription factors (TFs) has multiple applications in organism improvement, metabolic engineering, and other aspects of plant science, but the approaches remain unclear. Here, we used gene activation assays and genetic transformation to investigate the transcriptional activities of two MYB TFs, PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT 1 (AtPAP1) from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and EsMYBA1 from Epimedium (Epimedium sagittatum), and their synthetic variants in a range of plant species from several families. Using anthocyanin biosynthesis as a convenient readout, we discovered that homologous naturally occurring TFs showed differences in the transcriptional activation ability and that similar TFs induced large changes in the genetic program when heterologously expressed in different species. In some cases, shuffling the DNA-binding domains and transcriptional activation domains (ADs) between homologous TFs led to synthetic TFs that had stronger activation potency than the original TFs. More importantly, synthetic TFs derived from MYB, NAC, bHLH, and ethylene-insensitive3-like (EIL) family members containing tandemly repeated ADs had greatly enhanced activity compared to their natural counterparts. These findings enhance our understanding of TF activity and demonstrate that employing tandemly repeated ADs from natural TFs is a simple and widely applicable strategy to enhance the activation potency of synthetic TFs.

Versatile roles of disordered transcription factor effector domains in transcriptional regulation

Transcription, a crucial step in the regulation of gene expression, is tightly controlled and involves several essential processes, such as chromatin organization, recognition of the specific genomic sequences, DNA binding, and ultimately recruiting the transcriptional machinery to facilitate transcript synthesis. At the center of this regulation are transcription factors (TFs), which comprise at least one DNA-binding domain (DBD) and an effector domain (ED). Although the structure and function of DBDs have been well studied, our knowledge of the structure and function of effector domains is limited. EDs are of particular importance in generating distinct transcriptional responses between protein members of the same TF family that have similar DBDs and specificities. The study of transcriptional activity conferred by effector domains has traditionally been conducted through examining protein-protein interactions. However, recent research has uncovered alternative mechanisms by which EDs regulate gene expression, such as the formation of condensates that increase the local concentration of transcription factors, cofactors, and coregulated genes, as well as DNA binding. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the known roles of transcription factor EDs, with a specific focus on disordered regions. Additionally, we emphasize the significance of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) during transcriptional regulation. We examine the mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of transcriptional specificity through the structural properties of predominantly disordered EDs. We then provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of these domains, including their physical and chemical characteristics, as well as their functional roles.

Biomolecular condensates in immune cell fate

Fate decisions during immune cell development require temporally precise changes in gene expression. Evidence suggests that the dynamic modulation of these changes is associated with the formation of diverse, membrane-less nucleoprotein assemblies that are termed biomolecular condensates. These condensates are thought to orchestrate fate-determining transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes by locally and transiently concentrating DNA or RNA molecules alongside their regulatory proteins. Findings have established a link between condensate formation and the gene regulatory networks that ensure the proper development of immune cells. Conversely, condensate dysregulation has been linked to impaired immune cell fates, including ageing and malignant transformation. This Review explores the putative mechanistic links between condensate assembly and the gene regulatory frameworks that govern normal and pathological development in the immune system.

Revisiting the model for coactivator recruitment: Med15 can select its target sites independent of promoter-bound transcription factors

Activation domains (ADs) within transcription factors (TFs) induce gene expression by recruiting coactivators such as the Mediator complex. Coactivators lack DNA binding domains (DBDs) and are assumed to passively follow their recruiting TFs. This is supported by direct AD-coactivator interactions seen in vitro but has not yet been tested in living cells. To examine that, we targeted two Med15-recruiting ADs to a range of budding yeast promoters through fusion with different DBDs. The DBD-AD fusions localized to hundreds of genomic sites but recruited Med15 and induced transcription in only a subset of bound promoters, characterized by a fuzzy-nucleosome architecture. Direct DBD-Med15 fusions shifted DBD localization towards fuzzy-nucleosome promoters, including promoters devoid of the endogenous Mediator. We propose that Med15, and perhaps other coactivators, possess inherent promoter preference and thus actively contribute to the selection of TF-induced genes.

DFF-ChIP: a method to detect and quantify complex interactions between RNA polymerase II, transcription factors, and chromatin

Recently, we introduced a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) technique utilizing the human DNA Fragmentation Factor (DFF) to digest the DNA prior to immunoprecipitation (DFF-ChIP) that provides the precise location of transcription complexes and their interactions with neighboring nucleosomes. Here we expand the technique to new targets and provide useful information concerning purification of DFF, digestion conditions, and the impact of crosslinking. DFF-ChIP analysis was performed individually for subunits of Mediator, DSIF, and NELF that that do not interact with DNA directly, but rather interact with RNA polymerase II (Pol II). We found that Mediator was associated almost exclusively with preinitiation complexes (PICs). DSIF and NELF were associated with engaged Pol II and, in addition, potential intermediates between PICs and early initiation complexes. DFF-ChIP was then used to analyze the occupancy of a tight binding transcription factor, CTCF, and a much weaker binding factor, glucocorticoid receptor (GR), with and without crosslinking. These results were compared to those from standard ChIP-Seq that employs sonication and to CUT&RUN which utilizes MNase to fragment the genomic DNA. Our findings indicate that DFF-ChIP reveals details of occupancy that are not available using other methods including information revealing pertinent protein:protein interactions.

A large-scale cancer-specific protein-DNA interaction network

Cancer development and progression are generally associated with gene dysregulation, often resulting from changes in the transcription factor (TF) sequence or expression. Identifying key TFs involved in cancer gene regulation provides a framework for potential new therapeutics. This study presents a large-scale cancer gene TF-DNA interaction network, as well as an extensive promoter clone resource for future studies. Highly connected TFs bind to promoters of genes associated with either good or poor cancer prognosis, suggesting that strategies aimed at shifting gene expression balance between these two prognostic groups may be inherently complex. However, we identified potential for oncogene-targeted therapeutics, with half of the tested oncogenes being potentially repressed by influencing specific activators or bifunctional TFs. Finally, we investigate the role of intrinsically disordered regions within the key cancer-related TF ESR1 in DNA binding and transcriptional activity, and found that these regions can have complex trade-offs in TF function. Altogether, our study broadens our knowledge of the TFs involved in cancer gene regulation and provides a valuable resource for future studies and therapeutics.

Prediction and design of transcriptional repressor domains with large-scale mutational scans and deep learning

Regulatory proteins have evolved diverse repressor domains (RDs) to enable precise context-specific repression of transcription. However, our understanding of how sequence variation impacts the functional activity of RDs is limited. To address this gap, we generated a high-throughput mutational scanning dataset measuring the repressor activity of 115,000 variant sequences spanning more than 50 RDs in human cells. We identified thousands of clinical variants with loss or gain of repressor function, including TWIST1 HLH variants associated with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome and MECP2 domain variants associated with Rett syndrome. We also leveraged these data to annotate short linear interacting motifs (SLiMs) that are critical for repression in disordered RDs. Then, we designed a deep learning model called TENet ( T ranscriptional E ffector Net work) that integrates sequence, structure and biochemical representations of sequence variants to accurately predict repressor activity. We systematically tested generalization within and across domains with varying homology using the mutational scanning dataset. Finally, we employed TENet within a directed evolution sequence editing framework to tune the activity of both structured and disordered RDs and experimentally test thousands of designs. Our work highlights critical considerations for future dataset design and model training strategies to improve functional variant prioritization and precision design of synthetic regulatory proteins.

Transcriptional silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: known unknowns

Transcriptional silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a persistent and highly stable form of gene repression. It involves DNA silencers and repressor proteins that bind nucleosomes. The silenced state is influenced by numerous factors including the concentration of repressors, nature of activators, architecture of regulatory elements, modifying enzymes and the dynamics of chromatin.Silencers function to increase the residence time of repressor Sir proteins at silenced domains while clustering of silenced domains enables increased concentrations of repressors and helps facilitate long-range interactions. The presence of an accessible NDR at the regulatory regions of silenced genes, the cycling of chromatin configurations at regulatory sites, the mobility of Sir proteins, and the non-uniform distribution of the Sir proteins across the silenced domain, all result in silenced chromatin that only stably silences weak promoters and enhancers via changes in transcription burst duration and frequency.These data collectively suggest that silencing is probabilistic and the robustness of silencing is achieved through sub-optimization of many different nodes of action such that a stable expression state is generated and maintained even though individual constituents are in constant flux.

Improving prediction performance of general protein language model by domain-adaptive pretraining on DNA-binding protein

DNA-protein interactions exert the fundamental structure of many pivotal biological processes, such as DNA replication, transcription, and gene regulation. However, accurate and efficient computational methods for identifying these interactions are still lacking. In this study, we propose a method ESM-DBP through refining the DNA-binding protein sequence repertory and domain-adaptive pretraining based the general protein language model. Our method considers the lacking exploration of general language model for DNA-binding protein domain-specific knowledge, so we screen out 170,264 DNA-binding protein sequences to construct the domain-adaptive language model. Experimental results on four downstream tasks show that ESM-DBP provides a better feature representation of DNA-binding protein compared to the original language model, resulting in improved prediction performance and outperforming the state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, ESM-DBP can still perform well even for those sequences with only a few homologous sequences. ChIP-seq on two predicted cases further support the validity of the proposed method.

Disordered sequences of transcription factors regulate genomic binding by integrating diverse sequence grammars and interaction types

Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) guide transcription factors (TFs) to their genomic binding sites, raising the question of how structure-lacking regions encode for complex binding patterns. We investigated this using the TF Gln3, revealing sets of IDR-embedded determinants that direct Gln3 binding to respective groups of functionally related promoters, and enable tuning binding preferences between environmental conditions, phospho-mimicking mutations, and orthologs. Through targeted mutations, we defined the role of short linear motifs (SLiMs) and co-binding TFs (Hap2) in stabilizing Gln3 at respiration-chain promoters, while providing evidence that Gln3 binding at nitrogen-associated promoters is encoded by the IDR amino-acid composition, independent of SLiMs or co-binding TFs. Therefore, despite their apparent simplicity, TF IDRs can direct and regulate complex genomic binding patterns through a combination of SLiM-mediated and composition-encoded interactions.

Systematic dissection of sequence features affecting binding specificity of a pioneer factor reveals binding synergy between FOXA1 and AP-1

Despite the unique ability of pioneer factors (PFs) to target nucleosomal sites in closed chromatin, they only bind a small fraction of their genomic motifs. The underlying mechanism of this selectivity is not well understood. Here, we design a high-throughput assay called chromatin immunoprecipitation with integrated synthetic oligonucleotides (ChIP-ISO) to systematically dissect sequence features affecting the binding specificity of a classic PF, FOXA1, in human A549 cells. Combining ChIP-ISO with in vitro and neural network analyses, we find that (1) FOXA1 binding is strongly affected by co-binding transcription factors (TFs) AP-1 and CEBPB; (2) FOXA1 and AP-1 show binding cooperativity in vitro; (3) FOXA1's binding is determined more by local sequences than chromatin context, including eu-/heterochromatin; and (4) AP-1 is partially responsible for differential binding of FOXA1 in different cell types. Our study presents a framework for elucidating genetic rules underlying PF binding specificity and reveals a mechanism for context-specific regulation of its binding.

N-SREBP2 Provides a Mechanism for Dynamic Control of Cellular Cholesterol Homeostasis

Cholesterol is required to maintain the functional integrity of cellular membrane systems and signalling pathways, but its supply must be closely and dynamically regulated because excess cholesterol is toxic. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2) and the ER-resident protein HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) are key regulators of cholesterol biosynthesis. Here, we assessed the mechanistic aspects of their regulation in hepatic cells. Unexpectedly, we found that the transcriptionally active fragment of SREBP2 (N-SREBP2) was produced constitutively. Moreover, in the absence of an exogenous cholesterol supply, nuclear N-SREBP2 became resistant to proteasome-mediated degradation. This resistance was paired with increased occupancy at the HMGCR promoter and HMGCR expression. Inhibiting nuclear N-SREBP2 degradation did not increase HMGCR RNA levels; this increase required cholesterol depletion. Our findings, combined with previous physiological and biophysical investigations, suggest a new model of SREBP2-mediated regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis in the organ that handles large and rapid fluctuations in the dietary supply of this key lipid. Specifically, in the nucleus, cholesterol and the ubiquitin-proteasome system provide a short-loop system that modulates the rate of cholesterol biosynthesis via regulation of nuclear N-SREBP2 turnover and HMGCR expression. Our findings have important implications for maintaining cellular cholesterol homeostasis and lowering blood cholesterol via the SREBP2-HMGCR axis.

Arid5a uses disordered extensions of its core ARID domain for distinct DNA- and RNA-recognition and gene regulation

AT-rich interacting domain (ARID)-containing proteins, Arids, are a heterogeneous DNA-binding protein family involved in transcription regulation and chromatin processing. For the member Arid5a, no exact DNA-binding preference has been experimentally defined so far. Additionally, the protein binds to mRNA motifs for transcript stabilization, supposedly through the DNA-binding ARID domain. To date, however, no unbiased RNA motif definition and clear dissection of nucleic acid-binding through the ARID domain have been undertaken. Using NMR-centered biochemistry, we here define the Arid5a DNA preference. Further, high-throughput in vitro binding reveals a consensus RNA-binding motif engaged by the core ARID domain. Finally, transcriptome-wide binding (iCLIP2) reveals that Arid5a has a weak preference for (A)U-rich regions in pre-mRNA transcripts of factors related to RNA processing. We find that the intrinsically disordered regions flanking the ARID domain modulate the specificity and affinity of DNA binding, while they appear crucial for RNA interactions. Ultimately, our data suggest that Arid5a uses its extended ARID domain for bifunctional gene regulation and that the involvement of IDR extensions is a more general feature of Arids in interacting with different nucleic acids at the chromatin-mRNA interface.

Deciphering the dynamic code: DNA recognition by transcription factors in the ever-changing genome

Transcription factors (TFs) intricately navigate the vast genomic landscape to locate and bind specific DNA sequences for the regulation of gene expression programs. These interactions occur within a dynamic cellular environment, where both DNA and TF proteins experience continual chemical and structural perturbations, including epigenetic modifications, DNA damage, mechanical stress, and post-translational modifications (PTMs). While many of these factors impact TF-DNA binding interactions, understanding their effects remains challenging and incomplete. This review explores the existing literature on these dynamic changes and their potential impact on TF-DNA interactions.

Structural anisotropy results in mechano-directional transport of proteins across nuclear pores

The nuclear pore complex regulates nucleocytoplasmic transport by means of a tightly synchronized suite of biochemical reactions. The physicochemical properties of the translocating cargos are emerging as master regulators of their shuttling dynamics. As well as being affected by molecular weight and surface-exposed amino acids, the kinetics of the nuclear translocation of protein cargos also depend on their nanomechanical properties, yet the mechanisms underpinning the mechanoselectivity of the nuclear pore complex are unclear. Here we show that proteins with locally soft regions in the vicinity of the nuclear-localization sequence exhibit higher nuclear-import rates, and that such mechanoselectivity is specifically impaired upon knocking down nucleoporin 153, a key protein in the nuclear pore complex. This allows us to design a short, easy-to-express and chemically inert unstructured peptide tag that accelerates the nuclear-import rate of stiff protein cargos. We also show that U2OS osteosarcoma cells expressing the peptide-tagged myocardin-related transcription factor import this mechanosensitive protein to the nucleus at higher rates and display faster motility. Locally unstructured regions lower the free-energy barrier of protein translocation and might offer a control mechanism for nuclear mechanotransduction.

Enhancing simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation of corncob by Kluyveromyces marxianus through overexpression of putative transcription regulator

Overexpression of a gene with unknown function in Kluyveromyces marxianus markedly improved tolerance to lignocellulosic biomass-derived inhibitors. This overexpression also enhanced tolerance to elevated temperatures, ethanol, and high concentrations of NaCl and glucose. Inhibitor degradation and transcriptome analyses related this K. marxianusMultiple Stress Resistance (KmMSR) gene to the robustness of yeast cells. Nuclear localization and DNA-binding domain analyses indicate that KmMsr is a putative transcriptional regulator. Overexpression of a mutant protein with deletion in the flexible region between amino acids 100 and 150 further enhanced tolerance to multiple inhibitors during fermentation, with ethanol production and productivity increasing by 36.31 % and 80.22 %, respectively. In simultaneous saccharification co-fermentation of corncob without detoxification, expression of KmMSR with the deleted flexible region improved ethanol production by 5-fold at 42 °C and 2-fold at 37 °C. Overexpression of the KmMSR mutant provides a strategy for constructing robust lignocellulosic biomass using strains.

Widespread variation in molecular interactions and regulatory properties among transcription factor isoforms

Most human Transcription factors (TFs) genes encode multiple protein isoforms differing in DNA binding domains, effector domains, or other protein regions. The global extent to which this results in functional differences between isoforms remains unknown. Here, we systematically compared 693 isoforms of 246 TF genes, assessing DNA binding, protein binding, transcriptional activation, subcellular localization, and condensate formation. Relative to reference isoforms, two-thirds of alternative TF isoforms exhibit differences in one or more molecular activities, which often could not be predicted from sequence. We observed two primary categories of alternative TF isoforms: "rewirers" and "negative regulators", both of which were associated with differentiation and cancer. Our results support a model wherein the relative expression levels of, and interactions involving, TF isoforms add an understudied layer of complexity to gene regulatory networks, demonstrating the importance of isoform-aware characterization of TF functions and providing a rich resource for further studies.

Divergence of Grainy head affects chromatin accessibility, gene expression, and embryonic viability in Drosophila melanogaster

Pioneer factors are critical for gene regulation and development because they bind chromatin and make DNA more accessible for binding by other transcription factors. The pioneer factor Grainy head (Grh) is present across metazoans and has been shown to retain a role in epithelium development in fruit flies, nematodes, and mice despite extensive divergence in both amino acid sequence and length. Here, we investigate the evolution of Grh function by comparing the effects of the fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and worm (Caenorhabditis elegans) Grh orthologs on chromatin accessibility, gene expression, embryonic development, and viability in transgenic D. melanogaster. We found that the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog rescued cuticle development but not full embryonic viability in Drosophila melanogaster grh null mutants. At the molecular level, the C. elegans ortholog only partially rescued chromatin accessibility and gene expression. Divergence in the disordered N-terminus of the Grh protein contributes to these differences in embryonic viability and molecular phenotypes. These data show how pioneer factors can diverge in sequence and function at the molecular level while retaining conserved developmental functions at the organismal level.

Intrinsically disordered regions of the Msn2 transcription factor encode multiple functions using interwoven sequence grammars

Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are abundant in eukaryotic proteins, but their sequence-function relationship remains poorly understood. IDRs of transcription factors (TFs) can direct promoter selection and recruit coactivators, as shown for the budding yeast TF Msn2. To examine how IDRs encode both these functions, we compared genomic binding specificity, coactivator recruitment, and gene induction amongst a large set of designed Msn2-IDR mutants. We find that both functions depend on multiple regions across the > 600AA IDR. Yet, transcription activity was readily disrupted by mutations that showed no effect on the Msn2 binding specificity. Our data attribute this differential sensitivity to the integration of a relaxed, composition-based code directing binding specificity with a more stringent, motif-based code controlling the recruitment of coactivators and transcription activity. Therefore, Msn2 utilizes interwoven sequence grammars for encoding multiple functions, suggesting a new IDR design paradigm of potentially general use.

Protein-intrinsic properties and context-dependent effects regulate pioneer factor binding and function

Chromatin is a barrier to the binding of many transcription factors. By contrast, pioneer factors access nucleosomal targets and promote chromatin opening. Despite binding to target motifs in closed chromatin, many pioneer factors display cell-type-specific binding and activity. The mechanisms governing pioneer factor occupancy and the relationship between chromatin occupancy and opening remain unclear. We studied three Drosophila transcription factors with distinct DNA-binding domains and biological functions: Zelda, Grainy head and Twist. We demonstrated that the level of chromatin occupancy is a key determinant of pioneering activity. Multiple factors regulate occupancy, including motif content, local chromatin and protein concentration. Regions outside the DNA-binding domain are required for binding and chromatin opening. Our results show that pioneering activity is not a binary feature intrinsic to a protein but occurs on a spectrum and is regulated by a variety of protein-intrinsic and cell-type-specific features.

The molecular basis for cellular function of intrinsically disordered protein regions

Intrinsically disordered protein regions exist in a collection of dynamic interconverting conformations that lack a stable 3D structure. These regions are structurally heterogeneous, ubiquitous and found across all kingdoms of life. Despite the absence of a defined 3D structure, disordered regions are essential for cellular processes ranging from transcriptional control and cell signalling to subcellular organization. Through their conformational malleability and adaptability, disordered regions extend the repertoire of macromolecular interactions and are readily tunable by their structural and chemical context, making them ideal responders to regulatory cues. Recent work has led to major advances in understanding the link between protein sequence and conformational behaviour in disordered regions, yet the link between sequence and molecular function is less well defined. Here we consider the biochemical and biophysical foundations that underlie how and why disordered regions can engage in productive cellular functions, provide examples of emerging concepts and discuss how protein disorder contributes to intracellular information processing and regulation of cellular function.

A large-scale cancer-specific protein-DNA interaction network

Cancer development and progression are generally associated with dysregulation of gene expression, often resulting from changes in transcription factor (TF) sequence or expression. Identifying key TFs involved in cancer gene regulation provides a framework for potential new therapeutics. This study presents a large-scale cancer gene TF-DNA interaction network as well as an extensive promoter clone resource for future studies. Most highly connected TFs do not show a preference for binding to promoters of genes associated with either good or poor cancer prognosis, suggesting that emerging strategies aimed at shifting gene expression balance between these two prognostic groups may be inherently complex. However, we identified potential for oncogene targeted therapeutics, with half of the tested oncogenes being potentially repressed by influencing specific activator or bifunctional TFs. Finally, we investigate the role of intrinsically disordered regions within the key cancer-related TF estrogen receptor ɑ (ESR1) on DNA binding and transcriptional activity, and found that these regions can have complex trade-offs in TF function. Altogether, our study not only broadens our knowledge of TFs involved in the cancer gene regulatory network but also provides a valuable resource for future studies, laying a foundation for potential therapeutic strategies targeting TFs in cancer.

Advances in RNA therapeutics for modulation of 'undruggable' targets

Over the past decades, drug discovery utilizing small pharmacological compounds, fragment-based therapeutics, and antibody therapy have significantly advanced treatment options for many human diseases. However, a major bottleneck has been that>70% of human proteins/genomic regions are 'undruggable' by the above-mentioned approaches. Many of these proteins constitute essential drug targets against complex multifactorial diseases like cancer, immunological disorders, and neurological diseases. Therefore, alternative approaches are required to target these proteins or genomic regions in human cells. RNA therapeutics is a promising approach for many of the traditionally 'undruggable' targets by utilizing methods such as antisense oligonucleotides, RNA interference, CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing, aptamers, and the development of mRNA therapeutics. In the following chapter, we will put emphasis on recent advancements utilizing these approaches against challenging drug targets, such as intranuclear proteins, intrinsically disordered proteins, untranslated genomic regions, and targets expressed in inaccessible tissues.

Dual DNA/RNA-binding factor regulates dynamics of hnRNP splicing condensates

Despite decades of research, mechanisms by which co-transcriptional alternative splicing events are targeted to the correct genomic locations to drive cell fate decisions remain unknown. By combining structural and molecular approaches, we define a new mechanism by which an essential transcription factor (TF) targets co-transcriptional splicing through physical and functional interaction with RNA and RNA binding proteins (RBPs). We show that an essential TF co-transcriptionally regulates sex-specific alternative splicing by directly interacting with a subset of target RNAs on chromatin and modulating the dynamics of hnRNPA2 homolog nuclear splicing condensates.

DisP-seq reveals the genome-wide functional organization of DNA-associated disordered proteins

Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in DNA-associated proteins are known to influence gene regulation, but their distribution and cooperative functions in genome-wide regulatory programs remain poorly understood. Here we describe DisP-seq (disordered protein precipitation followed by DNA sequencing), an antibody-independent chemical precipitation assay that can simultaneously map endogenous DNA-associated disordered proteins genome-wide through a combination of biotinylated isoxazole precipitation and next-generation sequencing. DisP-seq profiles are composed of thousands of peaks that are associated with diverse chromatin states, are enriched for disordered transcription factors (TFs) and are often arranged in large lineage-specific clusters with high local concentrations of disordered proteins and different combinations of histone modifications linked to regulatory potential. We use DisP-seq to analyze cancer cells and reveal how disordered protein-associated islands enable IDR-dependent mechanisms that control the binding and function of disordered TFs, including oncogene-dependent sequestration of TFs through long-range interactions and the reactivation of differentiation pathways upon loss of oncogenic stimuli in Ewing sarcoma.

Characterization of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Healthy and Diseased States by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

INTRODUCTION

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) are active in different cellular procedures like ordered assembly of chromatin and ribosomes, interaction with membrane, protein, and ligand binding, molecular recognition, binding, and transportation via nuclear pores, microfilaments and microtubules process and disassembly, protein functions, RNA chaperone, and nucleic acid binding, modulation of the central dogma, cell cycle, and other cellular activities, post-translational qualification and substitute splicing, and flexible entropic linker and management of signaling pathways.

METHODS

The intrinsic disorder is a precise structural characteristic that permits IDPs/IDPRs to be involved in both one-to-many and many-to-one signaling. IDPs/IDPRs also exert some dynamical and structural ordering, being much less constrained in their activities than folded proteins. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a major technique for the characterization of IDPs, and it can be used for dynamic and structural studies of IDPs.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

This review was carried out to discuss intrinsically disordered proteins and their different goals, as well as the importance and effectiveness of NMR in characterizing intrinsically disordered proteins in healthy and diseased states.

Systematic Dissection of Sequence Features Affecting the Binding Specificity of a Pioneer Factor Reveals Binding Synergy Between FOXA1 and AP-1

Despite the unique ability of pioneer transcription factors (PFs) to target nucleosomal sites in closed chromatin, they only bind a small fraction of their genomic motifs. The underlying mechanism of this selectivity is not well understood. Here, we design a high-throughput assay called ChIP-ISO to systematically dissect sequence features affecting the binding specificity of a classic PF, FOXA1. Combining ChIP-ISO with in vitro and neural network analyses, we find that 1) FOXA1 binding is strongly affected by co-binding TFs AP-1 and CEBPB, 2) FOXA1 and AP-1 show binding cooperativity in vitro, 3) FOXA1's binding is determined more by local sequences than chromatin context, including eu-/heterochromatin, and 4) AP-1 is partially responsible for differential binding of FOXA1 in different cell types. Our study presents a framework for elucidating genetic rules underlying PF binding specificity and reveals a mechanism for context-specific regulation of its binding.

Transcription Factor Dynamics: One Molecule at a Time

Cells must tightly regulate their gene expression programs and yet rapidly respond to acute biochemical and biophysical cues within their environment. This information is transmitted to the nucleus through various signaling cascades, culminating in the activation or repression of target genes. Transcription factors (TFs) are key mediators of these signals, binding to specific regulatory elements within chromatin. While live-cell imaging has conclusively proven that TF-chromatin interactions are highly dynamic, how such transient interactions can have long-term impacts on developmental trajectories and disease progression is still largely unclear. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the dynamic nature of TF functions, starting with a historical overview of early live-cell experiments. We highlight key factors that govern TF dynamics and how TF dynamics, in turn, affect downstream transcriptional bursting. Finally, we conclude with open challenges and emerging technologies that will further our understanding of transcriptional regulation.

Probing excited state 1Hα chemical shifts in intrinsically disordered proteins with a triple resonance-based CEST experiment: Application to a disorder-to-order switch

Over 40% of eukaryotic proteomes and 15% of bacterial proteomes are predicted to be intrinsically disordered based on their amino acid sequence. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) exist as heterogeneous ensembles of interconverting conformations and pose a challenge to the structure-function paradigm by apparently functioning without possessing stable structural elements. IDPs play a prominent role in biological processes involving extensive intermolecular interaction networks and their inherently dynamic nature facilitates their promiscuous interaction with multiple structurally diverse partner molecules. NMR spectroscopy has made pivotal contributions to our understanding of IDPs because of its unique ability to characterize heterogeneity at atomic resolution. NMR methods such as Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) and relaxation dispersion have enabled the detection of 'invisible' excited states in biomolecules which are transiently and sparsely populated, yet central for function. Here, we develop a 1Hα CEST pulse sequence which overcomes the resonance overlap problem in the 1Hα-13Cα plane of IDPs by taking advantage of the superior resolution in the 1H-15N correlation spectrum. In this sequence, magnetization is transferred after 1H CEST using a triple resonance coherence transfer pathway from 1Hα (i) to 1HN(i + 1) during which the 15N(t1) and 1HN(t2) are frequency labelled. This approach is integrated with spin state-selective CEST for eliminating spurious dips in CEST profiles resulting from dipolar cross-relaxation. We apply this sequence to determine the excited state 1Hα chemical shifts of the intrinsically disordered DNA binding domain (CytRN) of the bacterial cytidine repressor (CytR), which transiently acquires a functional globally folded conformation. The structure of the excited state, calculated using 1Hα chemical shifts in conjunction with other excited state NMR restraints, is a three-helix bundle incorporating a helix-turn-helix motif that is vital for binding DNA.

The C-terminal transactivation domain of MITF interacts promiscuously with co-activator CBP/p300

The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is one of four closely related members of the MiT/TFE family (TFEB, TFE3, TFEC) that regulate a wide range of cellular processes. MITF is a key regulator of melanocyte-associated genes, and essential to proper development of the melanocyte cell lineage. Abnormal MITF activity can contribute to the onset of several diseases including melanoma, where MITF is an amplified oncogene. To enhance transcription, MITF recruits the co-activator CREB-binding protein (CBP) and its homolog p300 to gene promoters, however the molecular determinants of their interaction are not yet fully understood. Here, we characterize the interactions between the C-terminal MITF transactivation domain and CBP/p300. Using NMR spectroscopy, protein pulldown assays, and isothermal titration calorimetry we determine the C-terminal region of MITF is intrinsically disordered and binds with high-affinity to both TAZ1 and TAZ2 of CBP/p300. Mutagenesis studies revealed two conserved motifs within MITF that are necessary for TAZ2 binding and critical for MITF-dependent transcription of a reporter gene. Finally, we observe the transactivation potential of the MITF C-terminal region is reliant on the N-terminal transactivation domain for function. Taken together, our study helps elucidate the molecular details of how MITF interacts with CBP/p300 through multiple redundant interactions that lend insight into MITF function in melanocytes and melanoma.

The architecture of binding cooperativity between densely bound transcription factors

The binding of transcription factors (TFs) along genomes is restricted to a subset of sites containing their preferred motifs. TF-binding specificity is often attributed to the co-binding of interacting TFs; however, apart from specific examples, this model remains untested. Here, we define dependencies among budding yeast TFs that localize to overlapping promoters by profiling the genome-wide consequences of co-depleting multiple TFs. We describe unidirectional interactions, revealing Msn2 as a central factor allowing TF binding at its target promoters. By contrast, no case of mutual cooperation was observed. Particularly, Msn2 retained binding at its preferred promoters upon co-depletion of fourteen similarly bound TFs. Overall, the consequences of TF co-depletions were moderate, limited to a subset of promoters, and failed to explain the role of regions outside the DNA-binding domain in directing TF-binding preferences. Our results call for re-evaluating the role of cooperative interactions in directing TF-binding preferences.

Intrinsically Disordered Flanking Regions Increase the Affinity of a Transcriptional Coactivator Interaction across Vertebrates

Interactions between two proteins are often mediated by a disordered region in one protein binding to a groove in a folded interaction domain in the other one. While the main determinants of a certain interaction are typically found within a well-defined binding interface involving the groove, recent studies show that nonspecific contacts by flanking regions may increase the affinity. One example is the coupled binding and folding underlying the interaction between the two transcriptional coactivators NCOA3 (ACTR) and CBP, where the flanking regions of an intrinsically disordered region in human NCOA3 increases the affinity for CBP. However, it is not clear whether this flanking region-mediated effect is a peculiarity of this single protein interaction or if it is of functional relevance in a broader context. To further assess the role of flanking regions in the interaction between NCOA3 and CBP, we analyzed the interaction across orthologs and paralogs (NCOA1, 2, and 3) in human, zebra fish, and ghost shark. We found that flanking regions increased the affinity 2- to 9-fold in the six interactions tested. Conservation of the amino acid sequence is a strong indicator of function. Analogously, the observed conservation of increased affinity provided by flanking regions, accompanied by moderate sequence conservation, suggests that flanking regions may be under selection to promote the affinity between NCOA transcriptional coregulators and CBP.

Analysis of the Structural Dynamics of Proteins in the Ligand-Unbound and -Bound States by Diffracted X-ray Tracking

Although many protein structures have been determined at atomic resolution, the majority of them are static and represent only the most stable or averaged structures in solution. When a protein binds to its ligand, it usually undergoes fluctuation and changes its conformation. One attractive method for obtaining an accurate view of proteins in solution, which is required for applications such as the rational design of proteins and structure-based drug design, is diffracted X-ray tracking (DXT). DXT can detect the protein structural dynamics on a timeline via gold nanocrystals attached to the protein. Here, the structure dynamics of single-chain Fv antibodies, helix bundle-forming de novo designed proteins, and DNA-binding proteins in both ligand-unbound and ligand-bound states were analyzed using the DXT method. The resultant mean square angular displacements (MSD) curves in both the tilting and twisting directions clearly demonstrated that structural fluctuations were suppressed upon ligand binding, and the binding energies determined using the angular diffusion coefficients from the MSD agreed well with the binding thermodynamics determined using isothermal titration calorimetry. In addition, the size of gold nanocrystals is discussed, which is one of the technical concerns of DXT.

The molecular grammar of protein disorder guiding genome-binding locations

Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) direct transcription factors (TFs) towards selected genomic occurrences of their binding motif, as exemplified by budding yeast's Msn2. However, the sequence basis of IDR-directed TF binding selectivity remains unknown. To reveal this sequence grammar, we analyze the genomic localizations of >100 designed IDR mutants, each carrying up to 122 mutations within this 567-AA region. Our data points at multivalent interactions, carried by hydrophobic-mostly aliphatic-residues dispersed within a disordered environment and independent of linear sequence motifs, as the key determinants of Msn2 genomic localization. The implications of our results for the mechanistic basis of IDR-based TF binding preferences are discussed.

Complementary strategies for directing in vivo transcription factor binding through DNA binding domains and intrinsically disordered regions

DNA binding domains (DBDs) of transcription factors (TFs) recognize DNA sequence motifs that are highly abundant in genomes. Within cells, TFs bind a subset of motif-containing sites as directed by either their DBDs or DBD-external (nonDBD) sequences. To define the relative roles of DBDs and nonDBDs in directing binding preferences, we compared the genome-wide binding of 48 (∼30%) budding yeast TFs with their DBD-only, nonDBD-truncated, and nonDBD-only mutants. With a few exceptions, binding locations differed between DBDs and TFs, resulting from the cumulative action of multiple determinants mapped mostly to disordered nonDBD regions. Furthermore, TFs' preferences for promoters of the fuzzy nucleosome architecture were lost in DBD-only mutants, whose binding spread across promoters, implicating nonDBDs' preferences in this hallmark of budding yeast regulatory design. We conclude that DBDs and nonDBDs employ complementary DNA-targeting strategies, whose balance defines TF binding specificity along genomes.

Protein-intrinsic properties and context-dependent effects regulate pioneer-factor binding and function

Chromatin is a barrier to the binding of many transcription factors. By contrast, pioneer factors access nucleosomal targets and promote chromatin opening. Despite binding to target motifs in closed chromatin, many pioneer factors display cell-type specific binding and activity. The mechanisms governing pioneer-factor occupancy and the relationship between chromatin occupancy and opening remain unclear. We studied three Drosophila transcription factors with distinct DNA-binding domains and biological functions: Zelda, Grainy head, and Twist. We demonstrated that the level of chromatin occupancy is a key determinant of pioneering activity. Multiple factors regulate occupancy, including motif content, local chromatin, and protein concentration. Regions outside the DNA-binding domain are required for binding and chromatin opening. Our results show that pioneering activity is not a binary feature intrinsic to a protein but occurs on a spectrum and is regulated by a variety of protein-intrinsic and cell-type-specific features.

The Role of SCL Isoforms in Embryonic Hematopoiesis

Three waves of hematopoiesis occur in the mouse embryo. The primitive hematopoiesis appears as blood islands in the extra embryonic yolk sac at E7.5. The extra embryonic pro-definitive hematopoiesis launches in late E8 and the embryonic definitive one turns on at E10.5 indicated by the emergence of hemogenic endothelial cells on the inner wall of the extra embryonic arteries and the embryonic aorta. To study the roles of SCL protein isoforms in murine hematopoiesis, the SCL-large (SCL-L) isoform was selectively destroyed with the remaining SCL-small (SCL-S) isoform intact. It was demonstrated that SCL-S was specifically expressed in the hemogenic endothelial cells (HECs) and SCL-L was only detected in the dispersed cells after budding from HECs. The SCLΔ/Δ homozygous mutant embryos only survived to E10.5 with normal extra embryonic vessels and red blood cells. In wild-type mouse embryos, a layer of neatly aligned CD34+ and CD43+ cells appeared on the endothelial wall of the aorta of the E10.5 fetus. However, the cells at the same site expressed CD31 rather than CD34 and/or CD43 in the E10.5 SCLΔ/Δ embryo, indicating that only the endothelial lineage was developed. These results reveal that the SCL-S is sufficient to sustain the primitive hematopoiesis and SCL-L is necessary to launch the definitive hematopoiesis.

Molecular Dissection of Crz1 and Its Dynamic Subcellular Localization in Cryptococcus neoformans

Across lower eukaryotes, the transcription factor Crz1 is dephosphorylated by calcineurin, which facilitates Crz1 translocation to the nucleus to regulate gene expression. In the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, calcineurin-Crz1 signaling maintains calcium homeostasis, thermotolerance, cell wall integrity, and morphogenesis. How Crz1 distinguishes different stressors and differentially regulates cellular responses is poorly understood. Through monitoring Crz1 subcellular localization over time, we found that Crz1 transiently localizes to granules after exposure to high temperature or calcium. These granules also host the phosphatase calcineurin and Pub1, a ribonucleoprotein stress granule marker, suggesting a role of stress granules in modulating calcineurin-Crz1 signaling. Additionally, we constructed and analyzed an array of Crz1 truncation mutants. We identified the intrinsically disordered regions in Crz1 contribute to proper stress granule localization, nuclear localization, and function. Our results provide the groundwork for further determination of the mechanisms behind the complex regulation of Crz1.