A mechanism for MEX-5-driven disassembly of PGL-3/RNA condensates in vitro
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Contributors
Abstract
MEX-5 regulates the formation and dissolution of P granules in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, yet the thermodynamic basis of its activity remains unclear. Here, using a time-resolved in vitro reconstitution system, we show that MEX-5 dissolves preassembled liquid-like PGL-3/RNA condensates by altering RNA availability and shifting the phase boundary. We develop a microfluidic assay to systematically analyze how MEX-5 influences phase separation. By measuring the contribution of PGL-3 to phase separation, we show that MEX-5 reduces the free energy of PGL-3, shifting the equilibrium toward dissolution. Our findings provide a quantitative framework for understanding how RNA-binding proteins modulate condensate stability and demonstrate the power of microfluidics in precisely mapping phase transitions.
Details
| Original language | English |
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| Article number | e2412218122 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| Volume | 122 |
| Issue number | 20 |
| Publication status | Published - 20 May 2025 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| PubMed | 40354522 |
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Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- C. elegans, phase-separation, polarity