HspB8 prevents aberrant phase transitions of FUS by chaperoning its folded RNA-binding domain

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Edgar E. Boczek - (Author)
  • Julius Fursch - (Author)
  • Marie Laura Niedermeier - (Author)
  • Louise Jawerth - (Author)
  • Marcus Jahnel - , Chair of Biophysics (Author)
  • Martine Ruer-Gruss - (Author)
  • Kai-Michael Kammer - (Author)
  • Peter Heid - (Author)
  • Laura Mediani - (Author)
  • Jie Wang - (Author)
  • Xiao Yan - (Author)
  • Andrej Pozniakovski - (Author)
  • Ina Poser - (Author)
  • Daniel Mateju - (Author)
  • Lars Hubatsch - (Author)
  • Serena Carra - (Author)
  • Simon Alberti - , Chair of Cellular Biochemistry (Author)
  • Anthony A. Hyman - , Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Author)
  • Florian Stengel - (Author)

Abstract

Aberrant liquid-to-solid phase transitions of biomolecular condensates have been linked to various neurodegenerative diseases. However, the underlying molecular interactions that drive aging remain enigmatic. Here, we develop quantitative time-resolved crosslinking mass spectrometry to monitor protein interactions and dynamics inside condensates formed by the protein fused in sarcoma (FUS). We identify misfolding of the RNA recognition motif of FUS as a key driver of condensate aging. We demonstrate that the small heat shock protein HspB8 partitions into FUS condensates via its intrinsically disordered domain and prevents condensate hardening via condensate-specific interactions that are mediated by its α-crystallin domain (αCD). These αCD-mediated interactions are altered in a disease-associated mutant of HspB8, which abrogates the ability of HspB8 to prevent condensate hardening. We propose that stabilizing aggregation-prone folded RNA-binding domains inside condensates by molecular chaperones may be a general mechanism to prevent aberrant phase transitions.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere69377
JournaleLife
Volume2021
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 6 Sept 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85116571213
ORCID /0000-0003-4017-6505/work/142253835

Keywords

Keywords

  • FUS, Human, RRM, aging, chaperones, molecular condensates, time-resolved quantitative XL-MS

Library keywords