Backbone interactions and secondary structures in phase separation of disordered proteins

作者：Shanlong Li, Yumeng Zhang, Jianhan Chen · 发表于：Biochemical Society Transactions · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1042/bst20230618 · 被引用次数：15 · 研究领域：RNA Research and Splicing、Protein Structure and Dynamics、RNA modifications and cancer

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are one of the major drivers behind the formation and characteristics of biomolecular condensates. Due to their inherent flexibility, the backbones of IDPs are significantly exposed, rendering them highly influential and susceptible to biomolecular phase separation. In densely packed condensates, exposed backbones have a heightened capacity to interact with neighboring protein chains, which might lead to strong coupling between the secondary structures and phase separation and further modulate the subsequent transitions of the condensates, such as aging and fibrillization. In this mini-review, we provide an overview of backbone-mediated interactions and secondary structures within biomolecular condensates to underscore the importance of protein backbones in phase separation. We further focus on recent advances in experimental techniques and molecular dynamics simulation methods for probing and exploring the roles of backbone interactions and secondary structures in biomolecular phase separation involving IDPs.